Cain and Harriet: A Collection
by Mrs Carmichael
Summary: Simple really, a collection of Cain and Harriet ficlets that I shall be adding to if/when the mood takes me. Rated M for...obvious reasons ;) x
1. The Fires Of Desire

_Author's Notes:_

 _1) I do not own either of the characters used in this story, they are the property of ITV and Emmerdale. I am simply toying with them because I have a habit of playing with things that don't belong to me._

 _2) This is purely my imagining of what occurred between Cain and Harriet in between their conversation outside the shop and the vestry scene a couple of weeks ago._

 _3) Massive thank you to my friend Lauren, who read this over for me first, and assured it wasn't rubbish before I posted it._

* * *

 _This is also dedicated to all my Charriet friends over on Twitter, especially Chlo, whose fic makes me so very happy :D_

 _x_

 **The Fires Of Desire**

" _Sorry Cain," she tells him before turning and walking away, thus closing down the conversation._

He has no real clue why she's apologising and it saddens him to hear it; if anyone should be apologising in their partnership, it's him, and he knows it. Cain knows that he's got a lot of making up to do where Harriet is concerned but he can see that now is not the right time to be making a start. Her quick retreat once the conversation had died away suggests to him that at that moment, she does not want to be in his company. Harriet's still angry, and rightly so, about being kept in the dark about the events that occurred in the aftermath of her stabbing. Cain's grateful that she's still on his side and he realises that he needs to give her some time to get her head around the latest developments, or he might jeopardise what they have together, and that's the last thing he wants.

Cain glances at her retreating back and his gaze is soon drawn to her backside, he can't help wondering whether she has any idea that he's still watching her. He smiles as he remembers with a great deal of fondness the time he casually mentioned her backside at the beginning of one of their conversations; one that quickly went from fun and flirty to solemn and serious in one sentence. A week hadn't even passed since and now, the distance between them is as apparent to Cain as measurements laid out in front of him. He hates that she's being so off with him but he knows he deserves it so for now, he's happy to leave her to it. She'll get over her anger in her own time.

There's no way back for himself and Moira, Cain knows that and he needs to move on. He needs to look to the future; a future that he hopes will include Harriet. He never dreamt he'd ever fall for a woman of the cloth, but Harriet isn't your typical vicar; there's an edge to her, she's attractive and also a bit rock 'n' roll too. She doesn't always play by the rules either, she's kept him out of trouble enough times already. There's still something between them, Cain can feel it; he just needs to bide his time, Harriet'll calm down eventually…

* * *

Cain's promise to wait for Harriet to come around lasts all of an hour and a half. By the end of that ninety minutes, he's going stir-crazy, he can't stop thinking about her and what his actions have potentially done to them, he hates it.

The garage is also quiet for a Wednesday and it's not helping Cain's brooding mood at all. He had hoped that work would provide him with the distraction he needed, but it wasn't living up to expectations at all.

Cain's had enough, he can't stand it any longer; he needs to know where he stands, and where their relationship stands in the face of all this. He tells Dan he's got some errands to run and leaves him in charge for the rest of the day; Dan's surprised by his sudden disappearing act but it's Cain Dingle, he's not the sort of man you argue with, so he leaves it.

* * *

Cain arrives at St Mary's and pauses outside as he works out how to approach the situation. He has two options; he can walk through the main door and confront her directly, or he could sneak in through the vestry door and wait for her to come to him. Being the local bad boy means that Cain's used to confrontations but he doesn't want a confrontation with Harriet, he just wants them to talk and resolve their differences. During the course of their relationship, he's become so accustomed to sneaking out of the vestry after one of their passionate encounters, why not sneak in for a change?

He sneaks around the back of the church and finds the vestry door; to Cain's relief, it's unlocked. He feels that if Harriet had wanted to completely shut herself off from him, she'd have made sure it was locked. He opens the door, inch by precious inch, not wanting to alert anyone inside to his appearance, especially not Harriet, not just yet anyway. Once he's inside, Cain closes the door just as quietly as he opened it and looks around; there's no sign of Harriet, but he knows she's here; he doesn't know how he knows it, he just does.

Cain hears a soft humming coming from somewhere beyond the curtain; it's Harriet, and she's alone, much to Cain's delight. The humming starts to come closer and stops altogether when the vestry curtain is pulled back. "Cain," Harriet exhales as her gaze settles upon the man she's already risked so much for, "what are you doing here?" she asks him, she doesn't really need to hear the answer; she's no fool, she knows why he's here.

"I think we need to talk about what's happened," he tells her as he tries to keep the faint note of desperation out of his voice.

"I don't think we do," Harriet replies, dismissing his notion straightaway, "I think I heard all I needed to about that little incident from Finn and Ross."

Cain shakes his head towards her, he's not giving up that easily, "you haven't heard my side of the story," he points out to her.

Harriet laughs, "that's not going to make it any better," she shoots back.

"Maybe it won't, but I think you need to hear it, I know I'm a bit of a hot-headed moron at times..."

Harriet smirks, she's not going to disagree there, "you said it," she interrupts.

"...but there's more to me than that and deep down, you know that,"

Harriet sighs to herself and steps inside the vestry to join Cain; she pulls the curtain closed behind them to afford the two of them a little bit of privacy. She settles herself upon her desk and looks up towards him, "you've got five minutes," she tells him.

Cain hates the fact that she's put a metaphorical clock upon him and he now feels under pressure to explain himself to her. He hasn't really given any thought to what he'd say once he was face-to-face with Harriet, now he's having to think fast to cover that up. Cain had never been one for sharing his feelings and innermost thoughts, but that was going to have to change now if he was going to win Harriet over. "I thought I'd lost you," he finally admitted to her.

Harriet folds her arms defiantly against her chest at his words, "I wasn't yours to lose at the time though, was I?" she responds, "you were the one that put a stop to us, remember?"

"I know, I know," Cain tells her, he doesn't need to be reminded of that fact and he pauses briefly before carrying on, "I wanted you to be mine, and I couldn't help wondering whether I'd have a chance to make things right, again."

"That still doesn't explain why you went after Ross,"

"I'm getting there," Cain snaps at her, he instantly regrets it when he sees her flinch. "Finn had been sat beside you at the hospital, saying how sorry he was that this had happened, and I figured Ross was somehow involved too," he carries on with his explanation, "when you crashed, I thought you were going to die, and the red mist just descended. All I wanted from Ross were the dealer's names, but he kept maintaining that he had no idea who they were. He wound me up something rotten about us too, and I lost it; but, I put a stop to it as soon as I knew you were going to be OK."

Harriet sighs to herself as he finishes his explanation, "I'm not sure I can do this anymore," she admits to him, "I can't carry this on if you're going to keep secrets from me."

"I knew you'd react like this when you found out," Cain tells her, he wishes he hadn't told her now but then he reminds himself that she was the one who wanted honesty, so his guilt is now assuaged.

"How else did you expect me to react?" Harriet shoots back at him, "did you really think that I'd be OK with what you did?"

"Of course not, I just thought that a little part of you might understand why I did it, at least,"

She's silent for a few moments, "I do...sort of," Harriet admits to him, "I meant what I said earlier, I'm still on your side," she adds as a reminder, "I'm just not going to sit here and condone what you did.

Cain looks towards her; it seems as though their conversation has reached a stalemate, "thank you, again," he tells her softly but sincerely.

Harriet nods in his direction, "Maybe you should leave," she tells him, "I don't there's anything more we can say to each other right now."

Cain senses that she's softened slightly towards him but her anger is still getting the best of her and he can only see one way to get around that. He needs to find the fire within her that ignites whenever they're together. He nods in her direction before turning and preparing to make his getaway through the vestry door.

Harriet watches as he approaches the door, she hadn't expected him to give up so easily. She'd expected him to stick around, to fight for a resolution. The vestry door is opened ajar and she makes a late dart across the floor to close the door before he steps through it, she succeeds.

She shuts the door once more, and Cain's eyes widen in surprise as she turns the key, locking them both inside the vestry. Harriet's gaze meets Cain's, he's the first to break the silence, "but you said..." he starts but his voice tails off as a finger to his lips stops him in his tracks.

"Forget about what I said," she tells him.

He smiles at her, he can see the fires of desire in her eyes and from that, he knows what's coming next, and so does she. They're in the House of God but at that moment, neither of them really care. Their need and desperation for each is so acute that they can't keep a lid on it for much longer; it needs to be satisfied, here and now.

It takes barely ten seconds for Cain's lips to come crashing down onto Harriet's, and she's quick to respond to his advance upon her. Her hands cradle his jawline as her lips part against his; she groans against him as his tongue strokes over hers, the sound spurs Cain on to up the ante.

His hands encircle her waist as he spins her around, moving her away from the door. A few seconds later, he hears a soft thud which is followed by a yelp of surprise from Harriet. Cain smiles against her, then releases her. Seconds later, Harriet's hands are clawing at his already-open shirt; she needs the garment gone and he senses her predicament. There's a grumble of discontent from her as he pulls away but as his gaze meets with hers, it's replaced by a gasp as Cain takes off his shirt and drops it to the floor. He steps towards her and sets about beginning to undress her; the shirt is the first item of clothing to go. Cain seizes the opportunity to tease her a little, taking his time to unfasten the shirt buttons until at last, the only button left to undo is the top one behind the dog-collar. At this point, Harriet takes over; she pushes Cain back slightly and her gaze meets his as she pulls the dog-collar free. He's transfixed, it's one of the sexiest things he's seen her do. Wearing the collar gives off the image that Harriet's all innocence and light, like Snow White; take it away, and she's as sexy and devilish as they come. Cain knew she wasn't all innocence and light before he got involved with her, but their past shenanigans have painted her in a whole new light to him, and he loves it.

Cain is soon pulled out of his daydream as Harriet's lips settle upon his jawline, peppering him in kisses. She steps back once she knows she's got his attention; his gaze rakes over her, smirking as he checks out her cleavage. Cain's hands soon reach for her cami top, wanting to pull it over her head, but Harriet stops him; she's drawing the line at getting completely naked in the vestry of her church but he doesn't mind, they'll be plenty of time for that later, or at least he hopes so.

Harriet's hands find the hem of his t-shirt and with Cain's help, the garment is quickly removed and discarded. She bites down upon her bottom lip as she allows herself a few moments to glance over him, to properly appreciate exactly what's in front of her. For the time being, Cain is hers, and she's now come to realise that she'd like it to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

This time, it's Harriet that has to be pulled out of a daydream, Cain makes another move upon her and it jerks her back into the present. Their kiss continues as her hands wander over his torso, and then his tummy before finding the waistband of his trousers. Harriet's deftly quick at undoing and unzipping him and before Cain even knows it, his trousers are pooled at his feet. He pulls away from her once more as he wrestles with his trousers, trying to pull them free. Once they are clear, he straightens himself up and looks down upon her; he glances at her, then at her chest. He smirks as he briefly becomes entranced by the rise and fall created by her laboured breaths. Cain's quick to snap himself out of it and his hands find the fastenings upon her jeans. He's just as quick at undoing and unzipping her, but he needs Harriet's help to clear them; she soon catches on and her jeans are soon added to the ever-growing pile of clothes upon the vestry floor, the place looks a mess but Harriet's too invested in the moment with Cain to really care right now.

The barriers between them now are minimal, easy to be removed so they can finally seal the deal. It's Harriet who makes the first move; her hands find the waistband of Cain's boxers and her fingers soon brush over the front. His strangled gasp in her ear turns her on immensely, but her movement against him was his undoing. Cain wasn't going to be able to wait much longer, he needs her, and fast.

His boxers were quick to be discarded and once they had been, Cain makes another move upon her. This time though, he lifts her up and guides her slender legs around his waist. Harriet gasps out loud, she knows what's coming next, it's what she's been waiting for. He shifts her body slightly against him before angling her against the desk behind her. Her hands are braced against his shoulder while Cain manoeuvres a hand between their bodies; he pushes her knickers to one side before finally taking the plunge. His penetration of her is followed by the most gorgeous of moans; his lips catch hers in a bid to muffle the sound and together, they surge forwards, towards a crescendo, a resolution to the harsh words exchanged the previous afternoon…

* * *

The deed is done, and Cain and Harriet are putting themselves back together again, making themselves presentable once more to the outside world.

She watches, transfixed as he pulls his t-shirt back over his head, sighing inwardly as he pulls it down to cover up his torso and tummy. How could the thought of giving this up have even crossed her mind? She has no idea what the future holds for them, but she will do whatever it takes to fight for them.

Cain's gaze falls upon her as he finishes adjusting his t-shirt and he watches as she continues to button up her shirt, her dog-collar clutched in her hand. His gaze keeps darting towards the half-inch of cleavage he can still see, and she's quick to bring him back to the present. "Right, so, next time I say 'Never Again'…" Harriet trails off as she continues to cover herself up.

His hands are braced upon the table in the vestry, against which they had just done the deed, as he prepares himself for what he thinks is coming next. Cain raises his eyebrows at her as he waits for the continuation, "I mean, never again in here," she tells him, finishing off with a cheeky smile.

Cain smirks up at her; it's back, the fire is back, and so are they.


	2. Lonely Without You

_Just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who commented on here, and on my Twitter about my previous ficlet :D_

 _Here's another one for you all :D_

 _x_

 _PS: This little ficlet is in no way related to the one before it, none of the entries posted here have any links to ones posted before/after. I may do some two-parters if the mood takes me, but we shall see ;)_

* * *

 **Lonely Without You**

Who likes being ill? Harriet certainly doesn't, in fact, she detests it. She feels so useless and fed-up because she can't go about her business as she usually would do. How can Harriet carry out hospital and home visits to her hospitalised and housebound parishioners when she gets exhausted simply moving from her bed to the sofa in the living room? It's simple, she can't.

Harriet immediately feels bad for being so miserable about her situation; it's a bug, she'll get over it. There's other people in the world suffering so much more than she is and it's in that moment that she decides she needs to snap herself out of this dreary mood she's found herself in.

Woodbine Cottage is quiet; Paddy's at work, Pearl's away and Harriet's missing the company. She even regrets telling Cain to leave her alone a couple of days beforehand when she was at her worst; he had obviously taken her at her word because ever since he had flounced out of the cottage that day, Harriet hadn't seen him. She's beginning to realise that she's a terrible patient, and Cain had born the brunt of her frustration. He had been trying his best to look after her and she'd bitten his head off for it; as appealing as the thought might've been to some, Harriet didn't want Cain playing her nurse-maid. She's perfectly capable of looking after herself, she's managed before, and Harriet's determined that that isn't going to change now that they're together.

Since they had argued, Harriet's barely heard from Cain; she's had a couple of messages but that's been the extent of their contact. It's the longest they've gone without either speaking or seeing each other since they got back together and Harriet's now also beginning to realise just how much she misses him. She needs to swallow her pride and invite him over so that she can apologise to him properly, hopefully seeing him will lift her spirits.

Her phone sits upon the coffee table; Paddy had left it there for her and insisted that she rung him if she needed anything. Harriet tentatively reaches for the device from her seated position upon the sofa, she's quick to scroll through her contacts and find Cain's number. She bites the bullet and presses call, it rings out several times before he eventually answers. "Harriet," he greets her, she detects a slight note of surprise in his voice, as though he wasn't expecting her call, "are you OK?" he adds questioningly.

Harriet smiles as she hears the note of concern in his last three words. In total, he's spoken four words to her and it's reinforced her earlier realisation of how much she's missed him in the past couple of days. Their relationship is still in its infancy, having only gone public a few weeks beforehand but up until that week, they hadn't spent more than a day apart since Harriet had woken up in hospital after the stabbing. Harriet is now starting to acknowledge that perhaps she shouldn't have been as harsh on Cain as she was at the time, perhaps not having him around has contributed to her miserable mood. "I'm getting there," she eventually replies, "I feel better than I did anyway, now that I've stopped throwing up."

"Nice," Cain tells her in an obviously sarcastic voice; he's pleased to hear she's on the mend, less pleased to have had the image of her throwing up into the toilet bowl brought back to the forefront of his mind.

"Or not," Harriet laughs, she pauses briefly before carrying on, "listen, I think I owe you an apology," she tells him, quickly changing the tone of their conversation.

Cain smiles to himself as he listens to her, "I'm waiting," he cheekily replies.

Harriet grins, it's the first smile that's creased her face since their argument, she knows he's waiting for her apology but she's not going to rise to it, she wants to make it face-to-face, "if you want to hear the words, you know where I am," she finally tells him, hoping that he would take the olive branch she had just offered to him.

"I'll be over soon," he promises her, "I've got Sarah, Jack, and Kyle at the moment," he adds, by way of explanation.

"Take your time, there's no rush," Harriet replies, "it's not as if I'm going anywhere," she adds, laughing out loud and soon afterwards, she's taken over by a coughing fit.

Cain grins to himself as he hears her laugh, he's missed that while she's been laid up with this bug, she hasn't had a lot to laugh about so it pleases him to hear that delightful sound again. He waits patiently on the other end of the line for her coughing fit to peter out before he speaks again, "I'll see you soon then," he says to her, "I'll be an hour, two at the most."

"I'll be here," she responds, "see you soon," she adds before finishing the call.

They were barely on the phone five minutes, but it's five minutes that have made her day, and already, she feels cheerier than she has done at any point in the previous two days or so. It's what Cain does to her, he makes her happy, happier than anyone she's ever known. Harriet wishes that she knew how he did it, but she supposes that that would spoil the mystique; the fact that she doesn't know how he does it is all part of the magic. All she does know right now is, minus the bug, she could not be more content with her lot if she tried.

* * *

Ninety minutes on from Harriet's phone-call to him, Cain finds himself on the doorstep of Woodbine Cottage. He's nervous about how to approach this because of the argument that had occurred between the two of them when he was last here. She's remorseful, Cain had surmised that much from their call, but he doesn't want to make the same mistake he did before and get himself chucked out again.

He knocks upon the door and he's surprised by how quickly its answered, it's almost as if Harriet's been waiting in its vicinity for him to turn up. She opens the door and Cain's gaze falls upon her; she looks exhausted, as if she's surviving on little or no sleep whatsoever. Harriet's still in her pyjamas, her hair is messy and tousled loosely over her shoulders but to him, she still looks beautiful. "I'm so glad you came," she tells him as she stands aside and allows him to cross the threshold.

"I had no intention of staying away," he replies to her as he steps into the cottage, "I'm just sorry it's taken me so long to get here."

"It's fine," Harriet bats away his apology as she closes the cottage door behind him, "you're here now, that's all that really matters to me."

For the first time in over two days, the couple are face-to-face in each other's presence; there's a tension in the air caused by their recent argument, it's still at the forefront of both their minds. Harriet's quick to make an attempt to cut through it though. She reaches for Cain, clenching one of his hands in hers while she cradles his jawline with the other, "I'm so sorry for what I said," Harriet tells him when she meets his gaze. She knows she doesn't need to elaborate on what was said and when because she knows he'll remember as clearly as she does, "It wasn't fair at all, and I know that you were only trying to help," she continues, pausing to take a breath before carrying on, "please don't leave me alone like that again."

Harriet hates how needy and clingy she sounds in that moment because that's not who she really is; Cain brought that out in her by storming off after their argument. It was all her fault though, she acknowledges that much; if she hadn't snapped at him, he wouldn't have left her as he had done.

Up until that moment, Cain hadn't given any thought to how his actions that day had affected Harriet and now he knows, he's overwhelmed with guilt. He wishes he'd made more of an effort to check in with her after their argument, there's a lot of things he wishes he had done differently but now it doesn't matter; she's apologised and Cain knows he cannot stay angry with her for long, especially when she's still pretty far away from being herself, despite what she says. "Come here you," he eventually tells her.

Cain's quick to enfold her in a comforting embrace, and Harriet reciprocates immediately. She releases a sigh of relief against his shoulder as Cain holds her close. A few moments later, he pulls away and glances back at her; now he's so close to her in terms of proximity, he can see the exhaustion even more clearly than before. "Have you been sleeping?" he asks her softly, he's concerned, and rightly so, because he knows that she needs to sleep if she's to bounce back quickly from this bug.

Harriet can't look at him at this point and Cain knows he's not going to like the answer she's about to give him, "not really," she quietly admits to him.

"How come?" he questions her, he's choosing his words very carefully with her at that moment, the last thing he wants is to spark off another argument so soon after the last one.

Harriet's reluctant to confess to the reason why she's not been sleeping because every time she repeats it in her own head, it sounds stupid and soppy, and she doesn't want Cain to think of her like that. "I think it's because you've not been here," she finally confesses to him.

"Eh?" Cain replies, he's confused, he doesn't understand why his presence makes such a difference to her sleeping.

Harriet's a bit miffed that she has to spell it out to him, "I guess I'd gotten used to sharing a bed with you, and sleeping with you almost every night," she starts to explain, "I missed that after our argument. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't because you weren't here with me."

In that moment, he falls a little deeper in love with her; he adores her, he loves the fact that she has opened herself up to him in that way. Cain reaches for her once again, Harriet squeals out loud and then coughs as he lifts her into his strong, masculine arms. He starts to make off towards the stairs, "where are you taking me?" she asks as she drapes an arm over his shoulders.

"I am taking you to bed," Cain tells her as he starts to climb the stairs with her. Harriet raises her eyebrows as they reach the landing and he crosses the floor to her bedroom. Under normal circumstances, she would never turn him down but she was now wondering whether she was going to have to now, it was the last thing she felt like doing at that moment, "to sleep," he says to her as he sets her down upon her double bed, "and I'm not going anywhere," he finishes and he starts to undress, stripping himself down to his boxers to prove his point.

Harriet can't put into words how she feels about him at that moment; the fact that he's staying with her while she's still ill so she can get some much-needed sleep overwhelms her, and it also gives away more about his feelings for her than any words could. Deep down in her gut, she's known how Cain feels about her ever since she woke up after the stabbing, but it's not a subject that's ever been broached. They both know how they feel; they've never said the words, but they know the words are true.

Harriet is snapped out of her daydream as Cain climbs into bed beside her, he straightens out the messy duvet and pulls it over the two of them as she shuffles towards him. Her head comes to rest against his bare chest, Cain turns towards her and presses a soft kiss to the top of her head as she makes herself comfortable. Their conversation is mostly one-sided as Cain tells her what he's been up to with Sarah, Jack and Kyle and Harriet replies whenever she can. Now she's tucked up in bed with him, the exhaustion is starting to take over and it doesn't take long for her to surrender completely to it.

Cain hears her gentle breathing and one glance down at the sleeping female in his arms confirms that she's finally given in to the exhaustion that's plagued her. He's glad she's asleep, because he wants her better ASAP, he doesn't even mind that she fell asleep during one of their conversations.

There's always tomorrow, they can talk then.


	3. No Holds Barred

**This rewrite contains sexual content and innuendo, as well as two count for swearing. If that's not your thing, I'd suggest you close this down now ;)**

 **Dedicated to my GC girls, you both know who you are :D**

 **xx**

* * *

 **No Holds Barred**

The vestry is her favourite place to meet him; it's her quiet space and, besides the garage, it's the only place that allows the lovers to carry off a clandestine meeting without attracting attention. Today however, is the exception. Harriet was quick to become swept up in the moment with Cain; because of this, she forgets to pull the curtains closed against them, and Laurel sees their kiss. She's no fool, she's quick to put everything together and realises that something's brewing between the vicar and the local bad-boy. Laurel's quick to retreat from the church when she discovers that, for the time being, Harriet's attentions are elsewhere. She doesn't want to pry but Laurel makes a mental note to catch up with her friend in the next couple of days. If Harriet needs a friendly ear, she's more than happy to provide it.

Laurel's brief intrusion passes by unnoticed, but Harriet pulls away a few moments later, bringing their passion-fuelled kiss to an end. Cain's face becomes clouded with disappointment as her lips part from his. Harriet's hands stroke over his arms and her next words diminish his feelings of displeasure. "So…" she trails off, grasping at the lapels of his jacket before looking up and into his eyes, "you didn't cancel that booking when you flounced out of the café earlier, did you?" she questions, casting a glance in his direction.

Cain's disappointment vanishes, his face is now a picture of glee, "oh, so now you're interested," he teases her.

"I was never _not_ interested," Harriet points out, "Emma waylaid me as I left the cottage."

"I was joking," he replies, "and, in answer to your question, yes, it's still open. It's ours if we want it."

The faintest glimmer of a smile creeps across Harriet's face at Cain's words; she doesn't want to appear too eager, but she's thrilled that he didn't cancel their planned night away at the height of his strop. It's all that's occupied her thoughts since he sprung it on her the previous day. "I still want it," she informs him.

Cain raises his eyebrows, grinning at the double entendre, "good, so do I," he replies, "I mean, the sneaking around behind people's backs is fun and exciting but…"

Harriet frowns at him as she wonders what's coming next, "but what?" she prompts him.

Cain isn't a big sharer of his feelings, he never has been. He realises though that he can't leave Harriet hanging on his words. "All I want is one night with you where we needn't hide what we have," Cain confesses to her.

His words surprise Harriet and she cannot look at him as she processes the admission. She's aware that there is this soft underbelly to the bad-boy but still, the unexpected expression of sentiment throws her.

Harriet first received a glimpse of Cain's softer side in the aftermath of Ashley's funeral a few weeks beforehand. All she had wanted to do was give her former partner the perfect send-off. In her eyes, she failed him; all she could think about was the mistakes, she became fixated by them, then disgusted in herself. Cain found her in the church later that day; he brought her brandy, spoke comforting words and ordered her to stop being so hard on herself. Harriet had been at her lowest ebb, but help had come from the most unexpected of sources. With his words, Cain Dingle shone a light into the darkness of her grief, giving her the lift she needed. From there, their feelings escalated, then led them into this passionate affair.

His confession took Harriet by surprise because she never expected to hear him say the words. Sure, they talk, but it's trivial nonsense and flirtatious banter. None of this sentimental stuff. Cain's words make Harriet wonder where he sees them ending up in a few weeks, or even months time. The temptation to question him upon this threatens to overwhelm Harriet but before she can voice her query, Cain's voice interrupts. "I hope you're prepared for a no-holds-barred night of passion like you've never had before," he carries on, taking advantage of his lover's prolonged silence.

Harriet senses that Cain doesn't want to continue along the serious tangent. She agrees, it would spoil the moment. Instead, she continues in the flirtatious vein by meeting his gaze, then raising her eyebrows in his direction before responding, "that's a bold claim. This may surprise you but, there's been many a wild night in my past."

Cain smirks, he doesn't doubt there has been, and he's keen to learn more. Right now however, his priorities lie elsewhere, "you haven't had a wild night with me though."

Harriet pulls a face and bites her lip while contemplating a retort, "I dunno… you remember the first time?"

Cain grins as she throws a cheeky wink in his direction. He remembers that first night well. In fact, it's the reason he keeps coming back for more.

After their kiss upon the garage forecourt, Cain and Harriet ended up back at the cottage once the garage had closed for the day. The sexual tension was palpable, so once they were alone, they soon ended up in bed together. After a few minutes of post-coital silence, Harriet left him alone and naked in her bed to go grab a drink. She intended to return to him afterwards, but Cain had other ideas. He followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen, cornering her. The sexual tension no longer existed, but neither could resist the other. Soon afterwards, they were at it again; this time, against the kitchen worktop. Paddy came close to exposing their antics when he returned from the pub that evening, but they scrambled out of sight just in time. "Wild is one way of describing it," he agrees, "but I don't intend for tonight to be on the same level."

Harriet knows she's in for a Hell of a night, and she can't wait. "If tonight fails to live up to your billing, I'll consider it a let-down," she teases him.

Cain's curious, he wonders what she means by her words. "When have I ever disappointed you?" he questions her.

She falls silent for a few moments as she contemplates an answer. Cain's decision to hide his stash of stolen phones in the church represents Harriet's only disappointment in him. However, she refuses to ruin the moment by mentioning his criminality, so her silence remains. She doesn't condone his far-from-legal dealings but she acknowledges that they wouldn't be where they are now without them; it's in the past, and Harriet's happy to leave it there. "Never in that department," she tells him as she throws a sultry wink in his direction.

Cain senses she doesn't want to talk about the issue that brought them into each other's orbit. He's in agreement, it will take the flirtatious edge off their conversation and ruin things. Cain's desperation for her is acute, but he stops himself from making a move; he doesn't want to spoil that night, so he holds back.

"Shall we head off then?" Harriet asks, penetrating the silence, "before I get accosted by Emma again."

Cain frowns, "if she turns up, I'll lock her in that cupboard again and leave her there," he responds. His words draw a disapproving look from Harriet, but he wouldn't take them back. "Plans the same as before?"

She nods, "I don't see why not."

The two of them agreed to meet at the hotel in a flurry of messages sent the previous evening. Cain had arranged for himself and Harriet to spend a night away so they could be together outside the village with no-one knowing where they are. Leaving together therefore, would defeat the object. Harriet was also wary of becoming the subject of idle gossip within the village. Until they have worked out where, if anywhere, their affair is heading, Harriet wanted to keep things as low-key as possible. "I'll see you soon," Cain tells her, "please don't keep me waiting," he adds before striding out of the vestry.

Harriet watches Cain go; the heavy wooden door soon clatters closed to announce his departure, and she springs into action. They've wasted enough time already, so she doesn't want to hang around for any longer than necessary. Harriet was excited about their impending night away when she first woke up that morning but somehow, their recent conversation has ramped it up a few notches. She needs to make her getaway now, she can't wait a second longer…

* * *

Cain glances over at the clock upon his dashboard for about the fifth time in as many minutes. Harriet still hasn't arrived, and he wonders whether she's gotten waylaid once more. He dismisses the thought; having had no message from her to say she's running late, Cain presumes it's taken her longer to lock the church up than she anticipated, or something similar. He fishes his phone out of his pocket to draft a text to his lover when he spots a car that looks like Harriet's swing into the car-park. Cain watches from the comfort of his own vehicle as the occupant parks the car. A massive grin splits across his face as the driver steps out; it's Harriet, at last.

She locks her car up and pushes her hair to one side while casting her gaze across the car-park. Harriet smirks to herself as she watches Cain get out of his car near the entrance. It's only then, as she watches him from afar that Harriet appreciates how good he looks out of his overalls. He doesn't scrub up too bad when he makes an effort; he has made the effort today, and she's impressed.

Cain folds his arms across his chest and leans against the bonnet of the car, watching as his lover sashays towards him. He cannot resist checking her out. "You made it then," he comments as she comes to a stop in front of him.

"It looks that way," Harriet replies as she smiles up at him.

Cain unfolds his arms and straightens himself up before pulling his lover closer to him. Harriet doesn't resist his advance and even surprises herself by leaning upwards to kiss him. Now the risk of being recognised by fellow villagers has diminished, she feels no inhibitions about being open with her affections. Cain kisses her back, but the moment is brief and he doesn't let it linger. He pulls away, glancing at her as he does so, "I'm glad you came," he tells her.

Harriet grins, "so am I,"

For tonight, there are no distractions and no nosy parishioners, just them. Their lives in the village are nothing more than a dim and distant memory. "I'll check us in," Cain tells her, penetrating the silence.

Harriet nods, "I'll meet you in a bar," she informs him, "I need to touch myself up first."

If Cain didn't already know Harriet had this delicious, naughty side beneath her edgy exterior, her dirty remark would've surprised him. Now he's privy to the knowledge of the vicar's less-than-innocent streak, he can't get enough of it. He loves that their banter can be both flirtatious and crude, but they both take it as a sign that their attraction is mutual. "You could always leave me to do that later," Cain mutters into her ear.

A small gasp of surprise emanates from Harriet's lips as they crease into a seductive smirk. "You know I didn't mean it like that," she replies, admonishing him for his response.

Cain smirks back at her, then arches a brow. "Do I?" he questions, "you're not as innocent as you like to make out, I realise that now."

"I've never made myself out to be innocent," Harriet protests to him.

"Are you calling yourself a devil in disguise then?"

"If you like," Harriet replies as she pushes her hair to the side once again. She smiles up at him before bringing the conversation to a close, "I'll see you in the bar."

Harriet's words of a few moments ago are still ringing in Cain's ears, so her departure catches him unawares. He watches her go and he can't resist checking her out as she heads into the hotel. Cain can't get over her choice of outfit for the day. It's so different to her normal attire and he wonders whether she dressed herself up with the sole intention of grabbing his attention. It worked and Cain's desperation for her increases tenfold in that moment. He needs to get her alone soon.

* * *

Once he's completed the checking-in process with the blonde receptionist on duty, Cain retires to the bar. He orders a pint before retreating to a corner table while he waits for Harriet to show herself. Again, he's being made to wait; it seems to be a recurring theme. Cain wonders whether she's keeping him waiting on purpose, to tease him or something. Most of the time, he gets quite a kick out of it; today however, he's getting no satisfaction from it at all. The temptation to find Harriet and drag her into a dark, secluded corner somewhere to fulfil his urge threatens to overwhelm him. For the time being however, he squashes that urge. Their sexual encounters have so far never left him unfulfilled, and he's certain that tonight will not become the exception to that rule. In fact, Cain plans on making it a night she won't forget in a hurry.

Harriet waltzes into the bar moments later, rewarding Cain's patience. Her coat is slung over her arm and he watches from afar as she approaches the bar. Harriet's appearance piques the attentions of two suited-up businessmen sitting not too far away from Cain. He watches as the men give her the once-over before weighing up their chances. He joins in, smirking to himself as snippets of their conversation reach his ears. The older of the two guys ribs his companion, daring him to approach the attractive female before he does himself. Neither of them stood a chance…

Cain seizes his opportunity by striding towards the bar, pint in hand, to join her. He hooks a finger underneath her chin once he reaches her, then his lips find hers. His hand reaches for her backside, making Harriet's unavailability clear to her admirers. "You took your time," he mutters as he pulls away.

Harriet glances up at him, she smirks as Cain's hand fans out against her backside and does not bat it away. "Did no-one ever teach you that patience is a virtue?" she responds, teasing him.

Cain laughs, "I must've been away from school that day."

Harriet's loud laugh attracts the barman's attention; he approaches the lovers and Cain orders her a pint. It's something he does without thinking; he's never shared a drink with her until now, but he knows her tipple.

As they retreat to the corner table with their pints, a profound thought strikes Cain. He could get used to this, spending time with Harriet and being in her company. His mind then wanders, wondering whether there was potential for more. It's still early days though, so Cain doesn't dare verbalise his thoughts. It's a big step for him because ever since his most recent affair with Charity disintegrated, he's been hoping to reunite with Moira. However, he now accepts that, through his own despicable actions, he's burnt his bridges there. His marriage is dead and buried, so the next stage is to exorcise the woman he once imagined growing old with from his life. Cain needs to move on, get Moira out of his system, perhaps Harriet can help him with that…

* * *

"You don't fancy dinner, do you?" Cain asks Harriet during a break in conversation as the afternoon gives way to the early evening, "my mate could pull strings and get us a table."

She glances in his direction, pulling a face as she considers his proposition. Harriet soon shakes her head, "I'm not hungry," she tells him, pausing before carrying on, "for food that is," she adds as his gaze meets hers.

Cain and Harriet haven't moved from the bar since they arrived and, aside from a few stolen kisses and cheeky gropes, they've both been on their best behaviour. However, Harriet's tired of playing the good girl; it's an act that's wearing thin. She wants to reward Cain for his patience and allow him to reward her. He raises his eyebrows at her before he speaks, "are you not?" he questions as a smirk crosses his handsome face. When Harriet answers with a simple shake of the head, he asks another question, "how about we take this upstairs?"

Harriet grins, her response is emphatic, "I thought you'd never ask,"

* * *

The hotel room is small, but the size doesn't bother either Cain or Harriet. She appreciates the gesture more than anything else. It has the essentials; the luxuries don't matter. He puts the key-card into the lock before opening the door and ushering Harriet inside. Cain slips the 'Do Not Disturb' sign onto the handle before closing the door behind them. They're alone at last.

Cain's heartbeat quickens in his chest as he kicks off his shoes then crosses the room. Harriet's stood at the window, gazing out at the townscape. Their room for the night overlooks the car-park so the view's not great, but she doesn't care. His sudden burst of spontaneity provides the lovers with the right set of circumstances for a rare night of passion. They haven't slept together since that first night because it's been easier for them to carry out their assignations during the hours of daylight. The rarity of the occasion spurs Harriet on, she wants to give Cain a night he'll remember for a long, long time.

He approaches his lover from behind, allowing one hand to encircle her waist while his other pushes her brunette locks to one side. Cain's tender touch brings Harriet out of her reverie; she settles into his embrace and her eyes flutter closed as he presses a single kiss to the join between her neck and shoulder. Cain lifts his head, then turns it towards her, "alone at last," he mutters into her ear.

Harriet shivers in Cain's embrace as he speaks. She's not cold in the slightest but the low, seductive intonation in his voice stirs something within her. An insurmountable euphoria rises within her; he wants her as much as she wants him, she's thrilled by that.

She inhales a deep breath to steady herself as Cain's hands land upon her shoulders; his fingers glide down her arms and he removes her jacket. Once it's clear, he throws the garment to one side; she won't need it for the rest of the night. Harriet turns around, her gaze lands on Cain before she replies, "it looks that way."

The expression upon his face creases into a frown and he wonders why she's playing hard to get now they're alone. Cain brushes it aside because he knows what she wants and at that moment, he's the only one that can give it to her. The chemistry between them is obvious but now they're alone with one thing on their mind, it's stronger than ever before. Harriet's gaze flits from his eyes to his lips, then back again; Cain's does the same. The sexual electricity crackles between them but despite this, neither are ready to make the first move. In time though, he seizes the mantle; his hand comes to rest against her neck. From that moment, it takes seconds for Cain to lean in and capture her lips in a kiss. It seems appropriate that he is the one to make the first move; he's chased her since the beginning. Cain's done all the running, but she's been complicit; he's done nothing she doesn't want, tonight is no different. Harriet's response to him is immediate; she kisses him back, allowing her lips to part against his while he mimics her movements. Her fingers become fisted in his hair as their kiss intensifies; it's full of fire and a sure sign of what she can except to occur as the hour gets later.

Moments later, Cain brings the passionate kiss to an end. He steps back to admire the vision of beauty before him; his hands rest upon her arms as he allows himself an uninhibited minute to check her out. Cain has done it a few times, but he wants to do it again before undressing her. "Have I mentioned yet today how stunning you look?" he asks as he draws his lover away from the window.

Harriet's once again taken aback by Cain's soft side. His words cause an internal panic to rise as she dwells upon how serious things are getting. He sprung this night away upon her the previous day, but Harriet still snuck out of the village to join him. Sure, they're still sneaking about being everyone's backs, but it's fast becoming more than an affair, and that's what scares her. For now however, she resolves to put her concerns to the back of her mind. She refuses to allow them to spoil what could be the best, and most passionate night of her life. Harriet shakes her head before changing the tone of the conversation. "Is this your way of telling me you'd like it if I kept my clothes on?" she questions, raising her eyebrows as she speaks.

"I didn't go to all the trouble of sorting this for us so we can sit here all night playing Scrabble," Cain points out.

"Good," Harriet responds as she closes the gap between them, then meets his gaze, "I don't know about you, but I was looking forward to getting them off."

Cain sucks in a breath while Harriet bites down upon her lip, anticipating her lover's answer. He reaches for her waist and his fingers find the hem of her top, "you were?" he questions as he lifts the material to expose her stomach.

The pad of his thumb sweeps over her bare skin; it's Harriet's turn now to suck in a deep breath. They're both aware of why they're here, and it's not to keep their clothes on. "I was," she confirms to him, "I still am," she adds, lowering her voice to a seductive whisper.

By now, Harriet and Cain are so close that their lips are just millimetres apart. Her breath is warm against his cheek, so is his upon hers. The spark between the lovers still burns bright, and their flirtatious banter only seems to have ramped it up a further few notches. "We both know why we're here," he murmurs.

"And Scrabble is not on the agenda,"

"Good job I didn't bring the board then,"

"Mmmm, isn't it just?"

Harriet soon takes the plunge and her lips land upon his; Cain's lips part against hers, then he hears Harriet groan against him as her tongue finds his. Her hands once again become fisted in his hair while his hand, once again, cradles her neck as the intensity in their kiss increases. Their kisses have always been fiery and full of passion, this one is no different. In fact, she's experienced nothing like it before with anyone else. The intensity of the kiss is so acute, it makes her want to rip both his and her clothes off there and then.

Cain's lips leave Harriet's and he peppers her jawline, then her neck with his hungry kisses. Every time he so much as inhales a breath, he gets a whiff of her perfume too; it's enough to send him reeling with lust and longing, its pure intoxication.

Harriet pulls his head back up to hers before kissing him once more. Her arms encircle Cain's neck as she allows herself to become immersed in the moment with him; her earlier thoughts banished to the scrap-heap as their kiss intensifies further.

She eventually pulls away before taking some huge, steadying breaths into her lungs. Her gaze meets his and the tiniest glimmer of a smirk tugs at the corners of her mouth. The look Cain bestows upon her one is Harriet's becoming familiar with; the look of lust burns bright in his big brown eyes. She knows hers will mirror his because that's how he makes her feel. There are still times where she struggles to understand how she's found herself in this situation with him. She's the local vicar, he's the resident bad-boy; he's the sort of person she should be steering clear of, shouldn't she? Only problem is, Harriet's tried that, and failed at it; or rather, he's drawn her back in and she can't resist. Harriet knows the story of how they arrived here off by heart. It all started with the stolen phones but things took quite the turn for them after Ashley's tragic demise. He had been the one to pick her up when she was struggling with her emotions after the funeral. The grief that the village contended with in the wake of his passing was all-encompassing. They dealt with it, but they failed to appreciate that perhaps Harriet needed someone too. Cain reached out to her, he made her feel alive when she was drowning in her grief, and things developed from there. Her fellow villagers would no doubt think she was acting like another woman if they ever got wind of this. Only, ironically enough to Harriet, she's more like herself than she has been before.

Harriet reaches for him, grasping at the lapels of his smart jacket; she's now decided that she's had enough of playing hard to get and wants to get things moving along fast. Her fingers find and undo the button before she slides the material down his arms; together, they soon cast the garment to one side. Harriet's hands cradle his jawline as her lips meet his, instigating another flurry of kisses. Cain's hands encircle her waist as he brings her closer. He's so invested in the moment with her that he doesn't realise that Harriet's undoing his shirt with an air of fanaticism until she breaks away and reaches for his jeans. Her gaze finds his, he sees the devilish smirk creep across her face as her hands manoeuvre between their bodies. Her fingers undo and then unzip him; Cain is just as quick to rid himself of the restrictive denim garment. "I thought you said you were looking forward to getting your clothes off?" he says to her as he watches her glance over his near-naked body. Sure, he's still wearing both his boxers and his shirt, but Harriet can see enough, and she likes what she sees. "I'm seeing no evidence of this so far," he adds, pointing in her direction before stepping back.

Harriet pulls a face at him before releasing a sarcastic laugh; she presses her palm to his chest, pushing him into a sitting position on the sofa behind him. She stands between his legs and bends over him, cradling his jawline once more. Harriet presses a single kiss to his lips before drawing back, "oh, don't you worry, I have no intention of keeping them on for much longer," she assures him.

Her voice is low, seductive and her warm breath tickles his cheek as the words leave her mouth. Cain's breath becomes hitched in his throat as her words register in his mind. At last, they're getting somewhere. In that moment, his thoughts are hazy at their best; Cain's focus is entirely upon her. Harriet is his escape from his mundane, everyday existence. Whenever they're together, everything going on in his life becomes a dim and distant memory.

There's a deafening silence lingering in the air between the lovers but it only serves to ramp up the intensity of the moment. It is intense, maybe one of the most intense they have shared to date, Harriet can only think of one that rivals it. The moment however, becomes lost when she steps away. Cain tries to draw her back towards him but she's resistant, batting his hands away to emphasise her point. Harriet's hands then reach for her skirt as Cain inhales a breath; he wonders whether the time has come for her to undress. It has, in a way…

Her hands skim beneath the skirt and her fingers dance over her black sheathed thighs. Harriet kicks off her heels then, moments later, wriggles out of her tights. A smirk creases Cain's face as he watches her throw them aside, it widens still further as she pushes her skirt down from her hips. At last, things are moving along nicely.

Once she's kicked her skirt to the side, Harriet surprises Cain by climbing into his lap, placing her legs either side of his so she can straddle him. Her fingers interlink at the back of his neck while she makes herself comfortable. A soft groan emanates from her lips and into his ear as his erection brushes against her thigh for the first time that evening. Her vocalisations make it more difficult for Cain to hold back; he had done with her the first time because he hadn't been sure whether there was a limit as to far he could push her. Now Cain knows, there's no way he's holding back with her tonight; he promised her a no-holds-barred night of passion, and he intends on delivering just that.

Cain's quick to take advantage of Harriet's momentary distraction as his hands land upon her stomach. His hands push the material of her top upwards and the electric feel of his touch brings Harriet back to the present. Together, they toss it to the floor, where he believes it should've ended up sooner.

It's his turn now to glance over Harriet's near-naked body; she is a stunning woman, but his latest discovery leaves him speechless. "You're wearing lace, for me?" he asks her when he finds his voice.

Harriet watches the wide grin spread across his face as he waits for her answer. She raises her eyebrows, then scoffs at the question as she busies herself with pushing Cain's open shirt down his arms. Moments later, Harriet casts it aside upon the sofa, "don't flatter yourself," she tells him, "of course I'm not."

Cain smirks, he knows it's a lie, and he takes Harriet to task about it as she drapes her arms over his shoulders. "Telling porkies is a sin," he reminds her, "you should already know that."

As their conversation flows back and forth, his hand reaches between their bodies and his fingers find her red lace knickers. If she will be stubborn in her denial, he'll find another way to extract the truth from her. In that moment, he wants her to admit she chose her underwear for the day with him in mind just that bit more than he wants her. This is Cain's way of paying her back for taking her time in getting undressed in the first place; his fingers stroke over her and Harriet gasps out loud in response to his sensual touch. "I might've done," she replies, stumbling over her words and breaking the silence.

Cain frowns as he presses his fingers deeper into the material, "that's not the answer I was hoping for," he tells her as he resumes his sensual stroking movements.

Cain's hand soon dips beneath the lace but he, for the time being at least, avoids the area where she craves his touch the most. He hears her quickening breaths, along with her continuous gasps above him as his fingers stroke over her slippery wet folds. Cain chances a glance upwards in her direction; Harriet's eyes are blind to his gaze, but he smirks as he watches her face contort with pleasure while he continues to touch her intimately.

She knows what he's doing, and she loves it, but she's ready for him to take things up a gear. Her body temperature is sky-rocketing and her desperation for him is already so far out of her control. Harriet now realises that she won't get what she wants from Cain until she gives him what he wants from her. "OK… OK…," she gasps out loud as her big brown eyes fly open, "I did… are you happy now?" she adds, stumbling once again over her words.

Cain glances up at her and grins, he _is_ happy, but she could make him happier. He senses an opportunity to string this out a little further. "I'm sorry, you did what?" he asks, teasing her.

Harriet's ready to tear her hair out with frustration; Cain's teasing movements down below have gotten her beat, she's ready to give in. "I chose my underwear for today with you in mind," she confesses at last, "now, are you happy?"

He's more than happy now he has the answer he's been waiting for, "fucking ecstatic," he tells her.

Harriet doesn't flinch at the expletive, it's nothing she's neither heard nor said herself in the past. She smiles down at her lover before leaning down to kiss him; Cain's response to her is immediate, and he pairs it off with his first touch in the region she craves it the most. His fingers find her clitoris and he strokes over the bud in slow, circular motions. His movements draw out a gasp from her lips and a shudder from her body above him. Cain knows he's onto something, so he keeps going, increasing the pace every so often because he knows from previous experience that that is how she likes it; fast and hard.

Cain slips two fingers inside her a little way and his penetrative movement prompts Harriet to pull away as she releases a moan of satisfaction. She raises her hips, allowing him more access to do as he wishes to her; her muscles clench around his fingers, pulling him in deeper. He soon penetrates her fully with his digits, then finds her lips, capturing them in a kiss while his fingers become hooked inside her. Harriet's pleasure is steadily coming to its peak; her body's ready to collapse, but she's terrified of moving, in case it lessens the intensity of the glorious sensation Cain is instilling in her. He soon settles into a rhythm as Harriet's head comes to rest against his shoulder. He starts off slow, sliding in and then out as his thumb brushes over her clit. Cain hears her breathless moans against her, then her fingers begin their pleading. Cain knows she wants more, and he's more than happy to give it to her.

Harriet lifts her head from his shoulder and her gaze turns skywards as she looks up at the ceiling. Her thoughts are hazy in that moment, her mind is a fog of arousal and pleasure but out of nowhere, a voice reverberates in her head, it's Moira. _**"Why don't you let him fiddle with your engine for a wee bit, what've ya got to lose?"**_

Moira had uttered those words, unbeknown to her, the morning after Cain and Harriet's first kiss in the church. At that point, Harriet was unaware of how far things would progress. Ashley's passing was tragic, but it forced her to reevaluate her life. There's never a guarantee she or anyone else will even have a tomorrow, life is short and precious, so she needs to savour every second. She intends on doing just that with Cain. Harriet's under no illusions however, this fling cannot last forever. No man has ever stuck around long-term, she doesn't imagine he will be any different.

Harriet's thoughts come crashing back to the present as Cain pushes his fingers back inside her; his hand turns simultaneously so his palm faces upwards. His thumb taps upon her clitoris while his fingers continue their rhythmic in and out movements. "Cain," she gasps, pleading breathlessly with him as her fingers continue to dig into the backs of his shoulders, "please… don't stop," she adds.

Her body rocks above him and Cain smirks before looking up at his lover once again; he has no intention of stopping, not until she's reached her orgasm. Seeing her face contorted with pleasure shores up Cain's determination to keep going. He does just that, fastening the pace of movements against her. Their intensity continues, getting both faster and harder and as they do, Harriet's breaths become louder and stronger against him. Her moans both grow in both volume and frequency too. Cain's hand aches, but his determination to bring about her climax and feel her give herself over to him overrides his own discomfort. Moments later, Harriet's orgasm is upon her; all he can hear is her moans of pleasure echoing over and over in his ears as her warmth covers his fingers. She rides out the delicious waves before her body succumbs to the pressure, and she flops down on top of him.

The room is silent aside from the sounds of heavy breathing; it's mostly from Harriet, but she can hear Cain sometimes in her ear too. Her head rests in the crook of his neck as she tries to regulate both her breathing and her heart rate. Her mind is racing too as she tries to comprehend what has just happened. The night is still young, but it's already living up to its billing.

Cain holds her close and runs his fingers up and then down her back; his movements are a stark contrast to those of a few minutes ago when he was using his fingers to bring her to a climax. It proves how lost in the moment he becomes whenever they're together. Harriet soon lifts her head and inhales a deep breath, "oh, fuck me," she mutters as she exhales.

Cain grins at her, "I think I did just that," he teases her in response.

She glances down at him, cupping his face in her hands as she grins back, "I know," Harriet replies as she leans forward to kiss him.

He kisses her back, but its brief; Harriet doesn't let it linger for too long as she climbs off of him. Cain attempts to rise with her, but she stops him, and the intense look she gives him keep Cain rooted to the sofa. Harriet studies his handsome face with a blistering intensity before reaching for her red lace knickers, hooking her fingers beneath the material. Their eye contact doesn't break for a second as she lowers the garment and Cain shuffles forward in his seat. Together, they toss the damp lace material to the side for the rest of the night.

Harriet steps towards him and rests her hand upon his shoulders, pushing him backwards. The quick positional change means that Cain's now stretched out upon the sofa as Harriet watches over him. He tries to pull her down too, but she resists and remains standing over him. Her hands glide over his chest before coming to a stop upon the waistband of his boxers. She makes quick work of removing them and they soon join the assortment of clothes that already litter the hotel room floor. Harriet stares down at his erection; she smirks because she knows what, or rather who, will come next…

She climbs onto the sofa, settling her body-weight on top of him. Her hands cup his cheek and his gazes settles upon her. Cain's hands seem to have developed a mind of their own as they move in between their bodies; one glides over her stomach and reaches beneath her bra to fondle her breast while his other rests against her warm inner thigh. Cain tries to shift her but Harriet resists; he wants to make her cry out in pleasure once more but this time, he doesn't want to use his fingers. Her resistance disappoints him but as she shakes her head and opens her mouth to speak, it is soon put to bed. "Later," she assures him, "just… let me do this," she adds, pleading with him.

He hears her plea and nods his head as he backs off. Harriet meanwhile can scarcely believe the words that have come tumbling out of her mouth. She couldn't recall ever making her sexual desires so clear during her relationship with Ashley. In fact, she doesn't recall ever being as explicit about what she wants from a man than she has been so far with Cain; he gets it. As Harriet reflects for a short time over her relationship with Ashley, she realises that compared to what she is experiencing with Cain, it was tame. Trust, mutual respect and love formed the foundations of their relationship, at least, she'd thought so. Sex had played its part, but it wasn't as prevalent as it is in this affair with Cain. At this present time, it is just sex for them; she doesn't want to consider what more might occur between them, for fear of losing what they already have. If she was to enter a proper relationship with him, would it kill the magic? Would she still sexually desire him as much when the thrill of the chase is extinguished? The prospect scares her, but being without him scares her more...

Cain penetrates Harriet's daydream as his hand wanders over her curvaceous body once more. Again, she bats him away before shaking her head in his direction; her hand moves in between their bodies and he elicits a quiet gasp as the same hand encircles his begging erection. Harriet holds him in position, then lowers herself onto his tip He's barely penetrated her and he's already struggling to control himself. She feels so amazing, looks so beautiful, and the lingering scent of her perfume still hangs in the air. Cain knows he won't last too long before his desires get the better of him. He's never wanted anyone like he wants her in that moment, not even Moira.

Harriet lowers herself, throwing her head backwards as he fills her. Her movements are slow, in part because the sensation is taking her breath away but also because she wants to savour that moment of absolute ardour. Cain's desire for her is almost overwhelming, but he grits his teeth and lets her take the lead for now. "You OK?" he questions in a whisper as he hears her struggling breaths above him.

She leans back over him, throwing her brown hair in his face as she rests a hand against his cheek. "I'm more than OK," Harriet tells him.

Her lips hover over his and the kiss that follows is perhaps once of their most passionate to date; amid this kiss, Harriet moves her hips against him. Seconds later, the speed of her movements increases and she'd riding him upon the sofa. Cain's hands reach for her hips and he pulls her further onto him with every rock of her pelvis. The term 'no-holds-barred' is the only appropriate one that describes with accuracy what the two of them are experiencing tonight. He hadn't held back with her earlier and now, she's not holding back with him, he loves that.

Harriet tries to hold onto her moans of pleasure, but her efforts to do so are fruitless. Cain's groaning beneath her and the sounds of him enduring everything she's doing to him only serves to push her closer to the edge. It turns her on beyond belief. His hands wander over Harriet's back and his fingers soon find the lace of her bra. Cain's fingers unsnap the fastenings before allowing his fingers to stroke over her breasts while their passion surges towards its peak. Cain's breaths are becoming heavier and more difficult to draw, Harriet's are too but she has only one thing on her mind, pushing him over the edge. It won't take long. Cain's painfully aware of how close he is to a climax and he knows if he so much as looks Harriet in the eye, it will finish him. However, at that moment, his selfish side overtakes him; he's already given her an orgasm tonight, he wants one of his own before she gets another.

His premonition is right; Cain looks up at Harriet, he sees her face contort in an expression of her pleasure and before he knows it, his climax is upon him. He groans beneath her as he succumbs to the delicious sensation. His gaze remains fixed upon her, watching as a satisfied smirk crosses her face. Harriet's own orgasm follows a few moments later, she squeals in delight as the exultant sensation tears through her body for the second time that night. She senses though that he's not finished with her yet; it thrills her. Harriet slows down her movements on top of him before coming to a stop. Cain's a different breed, he satisfies her in ways that no other man has. Harriet can't put into words how she feels, it's a thrilling rush, a delicious high.

The hotel room is silent for a good few minutes after their satisfying climaxes. It's as though they're both trying to come to terms with what's happened so far that night. None of their sexual encounters could hold a candle to this one, not even their first time. "That was…" Cain starts, breaking the silence as he tries to find her right words to describe their latest passionate assignation.

Harriet looks up and nods her head in agreement. "Yeah, that was…" she also tries to finish, but just like Cain, she too comes up short.

At the present time, she's struggling to find either the right word or phrase to describe what has probably been the best sex of her life.

"Something else," Cain contributes, he can't think of anything else to say to summarise things satisfactorily.

She smiles down at him, nodding her head once more, "yeah, I'd agree with that," she tells him before leaning down to kiss him.

Cain kisses her back and the passion that exists between them reignites again. Harriet allows the kiss to linger for a few moments but soon pulls away before climbing off his lap. He frowns as he watches she gets up, "where are you going?" he asks her while pulling himself into a sitting position.

Harriet grins at him, "don't panic," she says to him, "I was just going to grab a shower," she adds as she wanders towards the bathroom. Cain watches her go, and she turns in the bathroom doorway, throwing a seductive wink in his direction, "you're more than welcome to join me."

She disappears into the bathroom, leaving the door wide open for Cain because she knows it will only take a few moments for him to follow her in; she's right. Cain leans against the door-frame, watching as Harriet takes her make-up off in the bathroom mirror. It's only at that moment he recognises how beautiful she is without it, she doesn't need it at all. "I seem to have developed a problem," Cain suddenly announces.

His voice startles Harriet as she hadn't realised he was there. She turns to face him, "oh yeah, what's that then?" she asks him as she glances over his naked body.

Cain sees where her gaze is heading and again, he's overwhelmed once more by the deep waves of desire that come over him. "I can't resist you," he replies to her as he steps into the bathroom before closing the door upon the two of them.

Harriet was right, he's not done with her yet.

* * *

Harriet awakens from her slumber with a start in the middle of the night. She does not understand what's caused her wake up so abruptly; whatever it was, Cain sleeps on regardless. She doesn't mind because since they shut the doors of the hotel room, she's not had time to gather her thoughts. Now, she can do just that.

Cain had been right; he had told her to prepare herself for a no-holds-barred night of passion like she'd never had before. Harriet can now say for certain that the night's lived up to his billing. She had lost count of the number of times they'd done the deed. She cannot get enough of the desire that overwhelms her whenever they're together. It's all-consuming, there's no other way for her to describe it.

Harriet lifts her head from its current position against Cain's bare chest and she reaches for her phone upon the bedside table, intending to check the time. It's just past 2am; Harriet sighs as she settles back down, rolling onto her other side in her attempt to make herself comfortable. Her movement brings Cain out of his slumber and as he awakens, he gasps out loud at a severe, shooting pain in his arm. He's got cramp, real bad cramp, caused by Harriet falling asleep upon his arm. He flexes it back and forth to get the blood flowing to it once more. The tingling sensation is immense and Cain grimaces in pain, but he persists with the movement until it's disappeared. "Ah, that's better," he sighs with relief, "that was excruciating."

"Oh, poor you," Harriet mutters, she's half-asleep so in her current state, that's the best she can muster up.

Cain rolls onto his side and frowns as he realises that Harriet has her back to him, he doesn't like it one bit. "Any chance of some proper sympathy?" he responds as a cheeky grin splits his face, not that she can see it.

"At this time?" Harriet questions, "you'll be lucky."

They're both due back in the village later that morning, so Harriet's none too pleased with the interruption to her sleep. Cain edges closer to her, his warm breath tickles her ear, and she inhales deeply as his hand wanders over her thigh. It creeps further upwards and over her stomach before moulding to her breast; he cups it in his hand, stroking over her nipple until it hardens beneath him. "You like that, eh?" he whispers into her ear, teasing her because he knows he's got her right where he wants her.

She laughs out loud, "you know I do, you insatiable man," she replies.

"I'm not the only insatiable one," Cain argues with her. "Did you or did you not drag me into the vestry only a few days ago, intent on having your wicked way with me?"

Harriet smirks to herself before biting down upon her bottom lip as she recalls the incident that Cain is referring to. A few days ago, he had agreed to fix the church roof on the cheap for her; the two of them had been taking a break in the vestry when Emma had almost caught them in the throes of their passion. She gasps out loud as Cain carries on stroking her breast, working on weakening his lover's resistance. "That was one time," Harriet protests once she's found her voice.

She's right, Cain concedes, but there have been times during their affair so far where she has proved herself to be just as insatiable as him. "I could argue that point, if I wanted to be picky and argumentative," he whispers into her ear. His hand ventures away from her breast, returning to her inner thigh, "however, as it is..."

Harriet grins, then gasps as Cain's hand nestles between her thighs and his erection brushes against the smooth curve of her backside. "You're not going to," she finishes his sentence for him.

Cain shakes his head behind her, "nope," he tells her, before pressing a kiss into her neck as he strokes between her thighs. "I'm not in the mood."

Harriet smiles to herself as she moves against him; Cain shuffles backwards to allow her to roll onto her back. Her gaze finds his in the darkness, "I think I know what you're in the mood for," she tells him, an air of certainty present in her voice.

Cain smirks as Harriet flings her arms over his shoulders before pulling him down on top of her; he finds Harriet's lips in the darkness and kisses her. The response from her is instantaneous, she groans into the kiss as his growing erection brushes against her thigh. It turns her on beyond belief to know he finds her as attractive as she does him. To Harriet, there's no better aphrodisiac. Cain raises himself a tad and his hand moves in between their bodies, he spreads her legs beneath him then slides his erection into her welcoming womanhood. He swallows the moan she releases in response to his penetration and she hooks her legs around his waist, keeping him close. Cain soon withdraws from her but pitches himself forwards again before she's able to register his absence. Every thrust into her compliant lower body draws out a muffled groan of pleasure from Harriet as he continues to move deeper within her.

She tilts her head backwards into the pillow and as a result, his lips leave hers, but they soon settle upon her neck; he caresses it with his hot, open-mouthed kisses which draw more gasps of pleasure out of Harriet as his movements increase in pace. With every moment that passes between the two lovers, they become harder, faster, and more urgent. All Harriet can do is match him as she surrenders herself to the exquisite, overwhelming sensation bubbling once more in the pit of her stomach. Her orgasm will engulf her soon enough and when it does, she won't be able to control her reaction to it.

Cain's lips descend fleetingly to her breasts, planting a kiss upon each of her already stiff nipples as her fingers become entangled in his hair, guiding his movements. His lips continue to work upon her breasts while Cain's hands cradle her hips; Harriet's back arches beneath him as her orgasm continues to build within her. Soon enough, she knows it'll explode and it'll send her toppling over the edge. She pulls Cain's head up to meet hers, his forehead comes to rest against hers. Harriet's drawn-out breaths tickle his cheek for a few seconds before her lips capture his, instigating a passionate kiss. Cain senses the hunger and urgency in her kiss, he responds to that by increasing the pace of his movements one final time and it pays off. Harriet releases a loud, euphoric moan of pleasure as her orgasm engulfs her once again; over the course of the evening, she's lost count of the number of times he's made her climax. This orgasm is definitely the last but to Harriet, it's also the most intense. She shudders against him while she rides out the glorious waves and moments later, Cain's own climax is upon him. He groans into her shoulder, then ejaculates within her. He slows down his movements before coming to a stop, settling himself on top of her for the time being.

Aside from the sounds of heavy breathing coming from both Cain and Harriet as they get their breath back, the hotel room is silent once more. Neither of them knows quite what to say. At last, Harriet breaks the silence, "you were right," she mutters into the darkness.

Cain furrows his brow as he withdraws from her, settling himself on his back beside her, "what about?" he questions.

"Your billing of tonight," she replies, "you called it a no-holds-barred night of passion," she carries on, reminding him of their conversation in the vestry. "It's certainly been that… but now, I need to sleep," she finishes, changing the tone of the conversation.

Cain nods his head in agreement, they both have to be back in the village later that morning so sleep sounds like a good idea right now.

Within minutes of saying goodnight to one another, Harriet's asleep once more in his arms. Cain however, is finding it much more difficult to drop off; his mind is alive and racing with thoughts. Thoughts of what could become of them if he dared to let this go beyond the 'just a fling' stage. What would Harriet say if he told her he wanted more than a casual fling with her? There's only one way for him to answer that…

* * *

The early morning rays of sunshine stream through the window later that morning, bringing Cain out of his slumber. The first thing he notices is that Harriet's side of the double bed is empty, and it sends him into a tailspin. He wonders whether she's snuck out without waking him to say goodbye, he hopes not.

Cain sits himself up in bed and surveys his surroundings; the room resembles a lover's lair. Their bathroom towels are in a pile at his feet, the plates from their meal the previous evening are down the side of the bed. The room is a mess, but he doesn't care, because the memories they've created would live for a long while in his mind. A familiar face soon appears at the foot of the bed, "morning," Harriet greets him, "coffee?" she adds.

Her voice drags him out of his reverie and relief floods his body as he glances over her. At last, Cain knows what he wants. He doesn't want Moira anymore, he wants this vision of beauty standing before him in nothing more than his shirt from the previous day. One night away with Harriet Finch has, it seems, been enough to exorcise his estranged wife from his life. His next step is clear; he needs to tell her what's on his mind. "Yes, please," he responds.

Harriet smiles at him before sauntering across the room. Cain watches her go, he knows it's now or never. "Harriet, can we talk?"


	4. Three Little Words

_Hello there lovely readers!_

 _I'm back with a little fluffy piece for your Sunday night reading :D_

 _This one's set during the 17th of August's second episode, and Harriet and Moira's conversation in the previous episode has been interpreted in a way that allows me to tell this story as I see it. I'm not suggesting that any of my interpretations ring true._

 _And finally, this is for Finchyfans over on Twitter, as a thank you for her constant encouragement and enthusiasm :)_

 _x_

* * *

 **Three Little Words**

It's been a rollercoaster couple of days for Harriet; she can scarcely believe how quickly things have shifted. Just the other day, she had felt so happy, so safe and secure in her relationship with Cain that at one point, she thought she might burst. Her happiness didn't last long however and, despite her track record with relationships, even Harriet's surprised at how quickly the tide has turned…

Everything had changed in the space of a few short hours the previous day, and it was all down to one person; Moira.

The argument Harriet had overheard between Cain and his ex-wife is still a vivid memory in the forefront of her mind. One part in particular however, still rings relentlessly in her ears, "do you really think I'd be _this_ angry if I didn't still love you?" Moira had asked her ex-husband before getting into her van and driving away.

Even now, having talked the situation out with Moira herself, Harriet's still not sure she's being told the truth. She does take a small crumb of comfort however from the fact that when she was pressed, Moira was still adamant that there was no going back for herself and Cain. Perhaps this is just how it's going to be from now on. Moira is probably always going to feel something for Cain because of all they went through in the course of their marriage, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's enough to warrant a reunion. Right now, the ball is well and truly in Moira's court; she could make or break her ex-husband's new relationship with her next move…

The only person who can truly put Harriet's mind at rest is Cain, but he's nowhere to be found. She's not seen him since he flounced out of the café earlier that day, the only place she's not tried is the pub. In hindsight, the Woolpack was probably the first place she should've tried…

Harriet pushes open the pub door and she feels her stomach drop as she watches Cain and Moira head behind the bar and disappear into one of the back-rooms. At that moment, she can't help feeling that the state of their relationship now hinges upon the conversation that the once-married couple are now about to have. Harriet has no real desire to be around in the immediate aftermath of that particular conversation so she steps back out and closes the door after her, she'll catch up with Cain later…

* * *

Cain strides out from behind the bar only a few short minutes after disappearing out the back with Moira. Their conversation was short and to the point; they've laid their cards on the table and with them, their feelings too. There's definitely no going back, their relationship is done and dusted.

He's grateful that the current situation is starting to resolve itself because he hates the fact that his relationship with Harriet has taken such a sudden and dramatic downward spiral as a result. After his apology to Bishop Barry a couple of days beforehand, Cain had felt they were really starting to turn a corner, but Moira's predicament yesterday had set them back once more. It seems to be a bit of a recurring theme in their relationship; first it was Ross, now it's Moira, who will it be next? No-one, Cain hopes at least.

His main concern at that present moment is finding Harriet, they need to clear the air. She needs to know how he feels, it's about time he told her…

* * *

Cain's search for Harriet is proving to be fruitless and he's running out of places to look so eventually, he goes back to his first port of call; the church.

He pushes open the heavy wooden door to St Mary's Church for the second time that day and he glances around its interior. "Harriet?" he calls out, hoping for an answer.

He doesn't get one, the place is deserted. He had left quietly the last time but this time, Cain's not going to go away, he knows full well that Harriet will have to come back and lock the place up for the night so if he has to wait until then to speak to her, then that is what he will do.

Cain ventures further into the nave and takes a seat upon one of the wooden chairs. A thought suddenly occurs to him, he could call her, summon her to the church so that they could talk but its very quickly squashed. It'll do their relationship more harm than good to summon her if she's not ready to face him; he certainly doesn't want to lose her so he waits, Harriet will turn up eventually.

* * *

Harriet's work is done for the day and she's grateful for that. Sure, it's been the only thing that's kept her focussed and stopped her from dwelling upon the state of her relationship but now, she feels as though the situation needs to be addressed, she can't go on like this.

A couple of hours have now elapsed since the moment Harriet saw Cain head into the back-room of the Woolpack with Moira and she can't help thinking the worst. At this point, she truly believes that she's lost him, maybe her conversation with Moira _had_ stirred the other woman into taking action. It's the only thing that makes sense in her mind at that moment, surely Cain would've tracked her down before now if the outcome of that conversation was something that she'd want to hear.

Harriet's heart breaks a little at the prospect of losing the man she's falling in love with; she's never even had the chance to tell him how she feels. There's never been a right moment and now, it seems to her at least, that there never will be. She's had her chance, and blown it.

Harriet's thoughts taunt her as she wearily pushes open the church door and her heartbeat quickens as she sees Cain sat in the nave. She instinctively knows that he's waiting for her, he's not the sort to come to the church for guidance, or to say a prayer. His reasons for coming to the church usually involve her and a distinct lack of clothing, if their past antics are anything to go by. Cain's head turns in the direction of the noise as the door creaks, and closes behind Harriet. He smiles slightly in her direction, he's relieved that she's finally here; it's time they had their talk. "I think we need to clear the air," he tells her, starting the conversation off tentatively as he's unsure of how she'll react.

She shrugs her shoulders in a non-committal fashion, she still believes that she's lost him to Moira, so she really doesn't know what they could possibly have to talk about. "I'm not really sure there's that much we can say to each other," Harriet quietly admits to him as she approaches and takes a seat in the row behind him.

Cain has to turn around to meet her gaze and when he does, she sees the anguish that her words have caused. For the first time since she witnessed what she did, Harriet questions herself. Could she have read the whole situation wrong? Perhaps she hasn't lost him after all, there's only one way to find out; let the conversation continue and soon, she will have her answers. "How can you say that?" he asks her, "is this all because of what happened yesterday?" he adds, "have you now decided that because I stood you up once that's it…we're done?" he finishes.

Harriet can now hear the anguish in his voice, it's the first time she's seen this side to him, and it surprises her. There's hope for them, she can sense it. "Of course I haven't," she tells him.

Cain sighs to himself, he could spark off a big argument here if he really wanted to, but he doesn't, not with her. "Moira's housed by daughter and my grandkids, they're not really her responsibility anymore and she didn't have to do that, but she has. She was in a fix, I helped her out," he calmly explains to her.

Harriet nods her head, she gets it, of course she does. "You could've called," she points out to him, "you did persuade me to skive off work for an hour for lunch after all."

Cain doesn't get it, it seems to him as though she's itching for a fight here and she's pushing all the buttons that would normally provoke him into starting one, but he's refusing to rise to it. The last thing he wants to do is fight with her, he hates it when they argue. "I know, I know I should've done," he tells her, he knows he's partially in the wrong too, "but once I'd freed Moira…she kissed me," he admits to her. He has no idea that Harriet already knows, and she has no intention of ever letting on that she even spoke with Moira, "and after that I….needed some time to figure things out in my head."

"Figure out what?" Harriet asks him, "things about her?"

Cain wishes that he knew why she was being like this, it's not like her at all. He shakes his head, "I wasn't thinking about her afterwards," he tells her, "all I could think about after that was you, and whether you'd think it was something else," he carries on, "why are you being like this anyway?" he asks her, he can't sit on that question anymore, he needs to know.

His words have given her hope that perhaps all is not quite lost for them just yet. Cain's been up front and honest about the kiss with Moira, now it's time that she did the same. "I saw you and Moira head into the back-room at the Woolpack," she tells him, she can't hold it in anymore.

Everything's now starting to fall into place for Cain, he had sensed something was up with her from the moment she had stepped inside the church, and his suspicions have only heightened as the conversation has continued. At least now he knows why she's been so off with him. "And you jumped to conclusions," he responds, he can't help it, it just falls out but he doesn't regret it.

"Can you blame me?" Harriet fires back at him, she pauses briefly while she processes the last words Cain spoke to her, "hold on…" she continues, her voice tailing off for a couple of moments before she carrying on, "I jumped to conclusions?"

Cain nods his head in her direction, "we just talked, nothing else happened."

"About what?"

Harriet's not stupid, she knows what the conversation will have entailed, she just needs to hear Cain say it, "about us, me and her. About whether we can turn the clock back," he confesses to her.

The moment of truth is fast approaching, she can feel it. "And what did you both decide?" she asks tentatively, there's still a part of her that dreads the answer he's about to give, but Harriet needs to hear it.

Cain shakes his head in her direction, "there's no way back for us," he tells her, "Moira and I are done."

Harriet would never admit it out loud but she's relieved t hear Cain's words, perhaps she does still have a chance to tell him how she feels after all, only time will tell. "She doesn't want you back?" she asks quietly, wanting a little bit more clarity.

Again, Cain shakes his head, "she doesn't," he confirms to her, "and I don't want her back," he adds, "Moira means nothing to me."

It's Harriet's turn to shake her head now, she knows that's not true. "Cain, please don't insult my intelligence by telling me what you think I want to hear," she pleads with him, "just tell me the truth, I think I deserve that," she adds.

He nods his head, he has a vague recollection of her saying something similar when he broke it off with her a few months ago and in that moment, he fully appreciates how far they've come since then. Their little secret isn't a secret anymore, and they both sense that a massive breakthrough is imminent in their relationship, perhaps the biggest since he made his feelings clear to her at the hospital after her stabbing. "OK," Cain starts, he falls silent for a few moments as he tries to marshal his thoughts, "I think there's always going to be a small part of me that will feel something for her but sometimes, it's not enough, or it's too much," he continues, "it's not enough," he clarifies to her. "Moira and I are finished and I've closed the door on that particular chapter of my life. It's been closed for a while but today, I've locked it and thrown away the key because I'm ready to start a new chapter.

Harriet's breath becomes hitched in her throat as Cain reaches for her and his hands cradle her jawline, he looks her dead in the eye, "I'm ready to start another chapter with you Harriet," he finally tells her, "Moira's in the past, and you are my future."

Her heart thumps relentlessly against her rib-cage as she hears his words; Harriet has never been more certain about how she feels about him than she is in that moment. She is never going to get a better opportunity to tell him, this is her moment. "I love you Cain," she tells him, exhaling a breath as she shares her feelings with him.

Harriet sees a grin creep across his face and instinctively, she knows what's coming next. "I love you too Harriet," he responds to her, the grin upon his face is now so wide, he wonders whether it's going to become a permanent feature.

Harriet can't even put into words how she feels about Cain at that moment, his declaration completes her. Her hands reach for him as his fall to her shoulders, her fingers stroke delicately over his cheek, "I never you had such a soft centre," she teases him.

Her words make Cain laugh, and he can't help himself. His lips come crashing down onto hers and Harriet gasps in surprise against him, she quickly recovers herself and she parts her lips against his while Cain mimics her movements. Her gasp of surprise soon escalates into a groan as his tongue strokes over hers and his hand moves to cradle her neck. Cain doesn't let the kiss linger for too long however and Harriet is disappointed by this, but she knows that it won't be too long before she gets far more than a kiss from him, so her initial disappointment is satiated. Cain's forehead comes to rest against hers, his nose brushes against hers too but all the while, he continues to stare deeply into her big brown eyes, "you won't tell anyone about my soft centre will you?" he asks her softly, "it'll ruin my image."

Harriet laughs out loud, she can't help it. She smirks to herself before pecking him softly on the lips, "don't you worry darling, your secret's safe with me."

* * *

 _Feel free to drop me a review and again, let me know if you have any ideas you'd like me to try and write :D_

 _I shall be unleashing my inner perv once again with my next ficlet, so be prepared ;)_

 _x_


	5. Happy Birthday Harriet!

_Hello again lovely readers!_

 _I'm back, a lot sooner than I expected, and my inner perv seems to have followed me too, so brace yourselves ;)_

 _Make yourselves comfortable guys, it's a rather long one :p_

 _Now for the warning: This ficlet contains elements of explicit sex so if that's not your thing, I'd close this down now._

 _You have been warned ;)_

 _To all my readers who are sticking around, enjoy! ;)_

 _x_

* * *

 **Happy Birthday Harriet!**

A loud ringing sound from the bedside table awakens Harriet from her slumber with a start. Her face slowly creases into a frown because she's fairly certain that she didn't set her alarm for that morning; she's not due at work as she's now on a week's annual leave, so she didn't need the wake-up call. In her still-sleepy state, it doesn't immediately register with her that it is in fact her phone ringing until she sits herself up and sees that the screen has lit up to announce an incoming call. Harriet grins to herself as she clocks the identity of her caller, she had been wondering where he'd gone. After that, she's very quick to answer. "Ah, sleeping beauty is awake at last," Cain greets her before she can even speak.

"Sleeping beauty eh?" Harriet responds to him, "since when has that been my nickname?"

"It's not, I just thought it was appropriate,"

"You'd better have a good reason for this by the way," she teases him, she doesn't mean it, and she hopes he knows that.

"Well, I'll hang up now then if you're gonna be like that," Cain teases her in return.

"You wouldn't dare," Harriet replies, calling his bluff, "where are you anyway? This bed feel quite empty without you."

"Are you saying I take up a lot of space?"

Harriet laughs out loud, "just answer my question, will you?"

"You'll find out where I am if you get your backside out of bed sharpish and come to the front door,"

Her confusion is heightened; she bites down upon her bottom lip while contemplating her answer, "how do you know I'm still in bed?" she eventually asks him.

"Tell me I'm wrong then," Cain challenges her.

She can't do it because she knows it's a lie, and she can't lie to him, even about something as trivial as this. "I'll be down in a minute," she tells him before hanging up and throwing her phone down onto the pillow beside her.

It's a bit of a novelty for Cain to be asking her to get out of bed, he's usually trying to get her into it. Their brief conversation has intrigued her and she wonders what he's up to; she knows him, he's definitely up to something. Harriet eventually pushes back the duvet before climbing out of bed; she picks up her fluffy dressing gown, wrapping it around herself and untucking her hair as she descends the staircase.

Harriet opens the door to Woodbine Cottage and smiles to herself as she sees Cain's car parked up outside, with Cain himself leant against the bonnet, "are you waiting for something?" she calls out to him as she leans against the door-frame.

Cain's head turns in the direction of her voice and he smirks at her, giving her the once-over as he walks up the path. "Not something, someone," he corrects her as he comes to a stop in front of her, "you," he adds as he leans against the opposite of the frame to her and raises his eyebrows.

"Me?" Harriet questions him. She quickly thinks back over their conversations in the past few days and then scans her mental diary as she tries to remember whether they had made plans that she has perhaps forgotten about. "What's going on Cain?" she adds inquisitively.

"You'll find out soon if you pack your bags,"

Harriet's eyes narrow as she looks up at him, "pack my bags?" she repeats, she's stunned and perhaps even more confused than she was a few minutes beforehand, "what for?"

Cain sighs internally, he can't fathom whether she's being deliberately obtuse or whether she genuinely hasn't cottoned on yet, "your birthday's tomorrow," he points out to her, "and, we're going away for it."

Harriet's eyes and face all light up as one as she processes what Cain has told her. His behaviour over the past few days is beginning to make sense to her now; he had been a lot more secretive recently, keeping things from her and taking his phone out of the room to answer certain calls. She hadn't even thought about doing anything for her birthday, but it seems that Cain has done that for her. "Oh Cain," she breathes softly as she reaches for him and pulls her partner closer, "you really didn't have to."

Cain's now close enough to kiss her and he takes full advantage of the positional change; he presses a single kiss to her lips and Harriet reciprocates before he pulls away. She'd missed the 'Good Morning' kiss they usually shared first thing that morning. "If I want to treat my girlfriend for her birthday, then I will do just that," he says to her.

His hands come to rest upon Harriet's shoulders and in that moment, she's overwhelmed by her feelings for him. She loves him, Cain knows that, and Harriet knows that he feels the same for her. To put it simply, she has never loved him more than she does right now. "Thank you," she responds softly and sincerely, "it sounds heavenly."

She doesn't even know where exactly they're just yet but the idea of a weekend away from the village with the man she loves for her birthday is her idea of bliss. Harriet can't remember the last time she felt so happy and content with her life, and it's all because of the man that is stood in front of her right now. "Are you going to pack then?" Cain asks her as his voice penetrates her daydream.

Harriet grins up at him, recovering herself quickly, "what do I need to pack?" she eventually replies.

"Enough for a couple of nights, we're not coming back until Monday,"

Harriet smothers a laugh, he didn't get her meaning, "I meant…what do I need to pack in the way of clothes?" she asks him, "are we having an outdoorsy weekend away," she carries on before reaching for the collar of his already-open checked shirt, toying with it, and him, "or is it a close the doors, shut the world out, clothes optional kind of weekend?" she finishes in a seductive lilt, her warm breath tickling his cheek.

Cain smirks as she presents the options to him, he can't deny that the idea of a 'clothes optional kind of weekend' with Harriet appeals greatly to him because not only is she ridiculously sexy, she's his woman, and he's not surrendering her to anyone anytime soon. "I'm not gonna lie," he starts as he reaches for the knot she's tied in the belt of her dressing gown, "I think the second option seems the most appealing," he adds as he slowly undoes the knot.

Harriet flashes him a cheeky grin, "I'm not even surprised," she teases him as she bats his hands away before retying the knot he's only just undone, "have you packed by the way?" she adds.

"What do you think I've been doing while you've been doing your sleeping beauty routine," he replies with a chuckle, "I've packed my things, loaded them into the car, brought all the food and drink we're going to need from David's," he continues, reeling off a list of things he's done while she slept on, oblivious, "Dad's got the number for the place we're staying at in case of any emergencies, I just need my beautiful girlfriend to get her backside in gear and pack so she can come too," he finishes as he reaches around to playfully grope her backside as he speaks.

"Where exactly are we staying?" Harriet questions him curiously.

Cain smirks at her and taps the side of his nose at the same time, "it's a surprise, you'll find out when we get there," he replies.

Harriet's overwhelmed with excitement, she can't wait to set off for the weekend. "I guess I'd better get cracking and pack my things," she states as a grin creases her beautiful face.

"Would you like a hand?" Cain enquires, he feels as though he should at least offer, seeing as though it's him that has sprung this weekend away on her out of the blue.

She pulls a face and shakes her head, "I think we both know you'd be more of a hindrance darling," Harriet replies, "you seem to have a great deal of trouble keeping your hands to yourself."

Cain holds his hands up to her, "I don't think I can be blamed for the fact that I find you rather irresistible," he cheekily responds.

"I also do not see how that is my fault," she says to him, "now mister, I need to pack," she adds before she steps fully back into the cottage, "as we have established that you'd be more of a hindrance than a help to me right now, go spend some time with Kyle, or Sarah, Jack and Debbie. I'll call you when I'm ready."

Cain smiles at her, he loves that she's so considerate of his kids and his grandchildren. Harriet doesn't make demands of him because she knows that there are other people in his life that deserve his time too, not just her. Once they set off for their weekend away however, she will have his undivided attention, and he can't wait to give it to her. "I'll see you in a bit then," he finally mutters to her.

Harriet nods in his direction and he steals one last kiss from her before striding off down the garden path and out of the gate. She watches him go and once he's disappeared out of her sight, Harriet herself disappears back behind her front door, she locks it before she excitedly bounds back up the staircase. The prospect of a weekend away with Cain and no-one else for company thrills her, who knows what they'll get up to.

* * *

Harriet is all dressed and packed up in record time, such is her excitement for this weekend, she's even surprised herself at how quickly she's managed to get herself ready. She locks the cottage up and drags her suitcase on wheels down the garden path. Cain's waiting for her and once she approaches, he makes a move to take her case from her. He deposits it next to the crate of food and drink that sits in the boot of his car, and places his holdall on top of Harriet's suitcase before closing it. "There's something in the front for you," Cain informs her as he goes to open the door for her.

Harriet's intrigued once more, she smiles at him and climbs inside. He closes the passenger's door and she glances around her, grinning to herself as she spots the cup of coffee sat in the drinks holder, it's clearly meant for her and that one gestures touches her heart so profoundly. "I wasn't sure if you'd have found time to make yourself one, so I picked up your usual from Bob's," Cain explains as he climbs into the car beside her, referring to the coffee.

Harriet turns in her seat to face him and he's blown away by the dazzling smile she bestows upon him, "you're so good to me," she softly responds as she tenderly rests a hand upon his thigh, "how did I get so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one," he assures her.

In that moment, she can't help herself. Harriet leans across, taking care to avoid spilling her Americano as she does so, and captures Cain's lips in a hungry kiss. His hand immediately goes to cradle her neck and as her lips part against his, she does the same. A soft groan escapes her as she feels Cain's tongue softly stroking over her own; their kiss is starting to turn her on but Harriet knows they'll never make it to their destination if she gives in to him now. Besides, there's plenty of time for that this weekend and with that pleasant thought in mind, her lips curl into a smirk and she pulls away. Harriet's hand settles against his cheek as Cain's gaze lands upon her, "we're lucky to have found each other," he mutters softly to her, not allowing his gaze to wander for even a split second.

The gaze he's lavishing upon her is intense and she's swallowed up by it; for the time being, she can only nod in response to his words. "Against all the odds," Harriet finally contributes when she finds her voice.

Their relationship started off as nothing more than a bit of fun but over the course of time, had evolved into something a lot more serious. They had fallen in love with each other and because of that, they had become determined to build a relationship on the basis of their feelings. Their relationship had certainly raised a few eyebrows and got the villager's tongues wagging but together, Cain and Harriet battled through to be where they are now; madly in love and all set for their first weekend away together. "We should be heading off," Cain finally speaks, penetrating her daydream for the second time that morning. Harriet smiles in his direction and nods her head as she belts herself into her seat and Cain does the same, "have you got your phone by the way?" he suddenly asks her.

She shoots him a questioning look, "it's in my handbag, where it usually is," she replies, "why?"

"Stick it in the glove-box with mine," he instructs her, "this is our weekend away, just the two of us. I don't want any of the trivial goings-on here to spoil it."

Harriet nods her head in agreement and digs her phone out of her bag before opening up Cain's glove-box to drop it in beside his. She closes it and picks up her coffee as Cain starts the engine; their weekend away starts now as he pulls away from the cottage. It's just the two of them, no distractions, no technology; it's their opportunity to spend some quality time together without the day-to-day happenings in the village intruding upon them, they deserve that much at least.

* * *

Cain and Harriet's journey out of the village, and indeed, Yorkshire, is both quiet and uneventful. They'd have made it to their destination a lot quicker had he taken the motorway but instead, Cain had decided to take Harriet along the scenic route. The scenery in their part of the world is glorious, and it only gets more beautiful and breath-taking as they drive into the Lake District. Harriet's blown away by it all, she still can't quite believe that Cain has brought her here for her birthday; it's already the perfect getaway for her and they still haven't reached their final destination.

"Now, can I trust you to keep your eyes shut, or will I have to blindfold you?" Cain eventually asks her, he knows their destination is close and he wants to keep it as a surprise until the last possible moment.

Harriet can't help laughing at his question, once she's finished, the smirk is still present upon her beautiful face. "I quite like the idea of being blindfolded by you," she murmurs seductively, "we could get up to all sorts."

Cain smirks to himself as he thinks about all the things they could get up to that weekend, blindfolded or not, but he forces himself to keep his eyes on the road ahead. "We're almost there," he tells her, "so make your mind up."

Harriet casts a soft smile in his direction and closes her eyes as the car begins to bump up the gravel driveway towards their getaway lodge. Cain parks the car and cuts the engine, he undoes his seatbelt before he leans over to press a soft kiss to her cheek. "We're here," he whispers into her ear, "but just keep your eyes closed for just a little longer."

She feels a change in the air around her as he moves away; panic floods her body as she hears the car door opening, "where are you going?" she asks him as she tries to keep the panic she feels at that moment on the down-low.

"Relax," Cain reassures her, "I'm not going far, trust me."

Harriet nods her head, she trusts him implicitly now she's gotten to know, and fallen in love, with the Cain Dingle behind the bad-boy persona. She never asked him to go straight, but he's done that of his own accord, and she loves him even more for it. Cain closes the car door and the silence envelopes her, it's almost suffocating because she's not really used to the feeling she's experiencing. He's barely gone a minute but it feels like the longest minute of Harriet's life; she soon becomes aware that Cain is back in her orbit when she hears him opening the car door to her left. She feels the air change around her once again as Cain leans across to unfasten her seatbelt; he finds himself to be in rather close proximity to her and he can't resist planting a kiss upon her soft and inviting lips. Harriet gasps in surprise but she's quick to reciprocate his advance upon her; his tongue pries her lips open and she groans as she feels it. Cain doesn't allow the kiss to linger for too long though and she grumbles in disappointment as he pulls away, but those feelings are soon quelled within her as Cain reaches for her hands. "Follow me," he instructs her as he steps back slightly to help her clamber out of the car.

Harriet finds herself obediently following the sound of his voice whilst all the while, keeping a tight grip upon his hands; he relinquishes his grip upon one of hers and he uses it to close the passengers door. Cain frees his other hand from her grip and they now hover over her eyes; a gentle push in the back prompts Harriet to start putting one foot in front of the other as they round the car and he guides her movements. Cain brings her to a stop outside the lodge and moves his hands away from her eyes, "you can open your eyes now," he informs her triumphantly.

Harriet's big, brown eyes fly open and they're immediately drawn to the picturesque cottage in front of her, and it takes her breath away. It looks gorgeous from the outside and she can only imagine what it looks like on the inside; Cain's blown away too, the pictures on the internet listing for this place do not do it justice and he realises that he's unearthed a hidden gem here. Harriet finally turns to face him, and he can see the tears in her eyes; she's overwhelmed and unbelievably touched by his romantic gesture. "This place is gorgeous Cain," she tells him sincerely, "but I still don't get why you've done this for me."

Cain smiles at her, it's about time he told her. "Can I be honest with you?" he asks her cautiously.

Harriet nods, "you know you can," she replies.

He's silent for a couple of moments as he gathers his thoughts together. "I know it's selfish…" he starts, trailing off as his arms encircle her waist. Her hands reach for his shirt as she looks up and into his eyes, "but I didn't want to have to share you with the village on your birthday," he admits to her and pauses briefly before continuing, "and besides…"

"Besides what?" Harriet prompts him, she senses that there's more to come.

Cain's hand finds its way onto her cheek and he strokes across it with the pad of his thumb as he looks her dead in the eye. "This is the first birthday we've had together, and I didn't want to regret not doing something to mark the occasion," he responds to her after a brief period of silence, "you never know what could be around the corner."

He doesn't want to mention Ashley in case he upsets Harriet but as he speaks those last words, it's Ashley that he thinks of. Three years ago, Ashley had probably thought he had many years left in him yet, now he's gone. Cain doesn't want to look back on his relationship with her in years to come and regret the things he didn't do with her. Life is for the living, and he's determined to enjoy every single moment that he has with her.

He can tell just from the look in her eyes that she's thinking of Ashley too as his words wash over her. Harriet pulls him towards her and her forehead comes to rest against his as she shuts her eyes; she swallows the lump in that's risen in her throat and opens her eyes before she opens her mouth to speak. "I really do love you, I hope you know that," she eventually says to him, her voice thick with emotion.

Cain nods against her and pulls back, he smiles at her as he wipes away the tears in her eyes, "and I love you too," he tells her, "let's go inside."

A soft smile crosses Harriet's face as Cain takes her by the hand and leads her onto the decked area out front; the first thing she sees is the hot-tub in the corner, and her eyes light up in delight. "This is glorious," she comments as she runs a hand across the edge, "it's a good job I packed my bikini," she adds, biting her lip as she casts an appreciative glance over him.

His jaw drops, "you did?" he mutters softly to her and when she nods her head, he continues, "I did want to tell you to bring one, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise."

"Think of all the fun we can have in there," Harriet murmurs seductively into his ear before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

Cain's not really thought about much else ever since he settled upon this place for Harriet's birthday getaway, such is his one-track mind wherever she's concerned. "I've been thinking of nothing else," he cheekily replies to her as he goes to unlock the front doors.

Harriet rolls her eyes in mock exasperation, it doesn't surprise her in the least. She watches as Cain pushes open the lodge's front doors and then, she follows him inside. They kick off their shoes on the welcome mat and start looking around; their getaway cottage is small, cosy and compact. It has everything they could possibly need for their romantic weekend away; they have each other and a gorgeous cottage in which to spend some quality time. Harriet couldn't be happier, and she hopes Cain feels the same. "This is perfect," she confesses as they finish off their tour in the open-plan kitchen.

"Just like you then," he replies flirtatiously as he joins her in looking out at the glorious view from the kitchen window.

Harriet pulls a face and her eyes narrow as she turns towards him, "if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were after something,"

"Well…someone, not something," he admits to her, "you."

Cain can't beat about the bush, that's the truth of the situation. "When are you not after me in some form or another?" she asks him teasingly.

He smirks to himself, "that's a fair point," he concedes to her, "but as I have already proved today, I can't help myself if I want to show my gorgeous girlfriend how much I love her."

Harriet nods her head and bites her lip as she draws closer to him. She drapes her arms over his shoulders and her fingers interlink at the back of his neck before she speaks, "you, can be quite the charmer when you want to be," she mutters to him, "I approve."

It's another moment in which Cain can't help himself, he closes the small gap between them and kisses her. From there, their passion for each other explodes, there are fireworks from the moment his lips touch hers. Up until a few weeks ago, their relationship had been mainly physical and based upon how much they wanted each other sexually. Now they've discovered that their feelings for each other run a lot deeper than the purely physical, their love-making has taken on a greater potency, and perhaps become even more fervent than it had been before they fell in love. Harriet's tongue prises open Cain's lips while his hand cradles her neck; she groans against him as his tongue sweeps over her own while one of her hands becomes fisted in his hair, the other rests upon his cheek. Her hands soon meet again on the collar of his shirt and as their passionate frenzy of kisses continues, she inches the checked cotton garment as far down his arms as she can. Cain has to relinquish his hold upon her neck in order to remove it, which he does quite quickly; the shirt falls to the floor and Harriet's hands soon meet once more at the hem of his t-shirt. The garment is inched further and further upwards and Cain reluctantly breaks the kiss, this enables Harriet to pull it over his head, which she eventually does.

She throws the t-shirt over her shoulder and it lands somewhere outside of her field of vision, Harriet doesn't care, he doesn't need it for the moment anyway. She looks upwards and into Cain's eyes; the look he gives her is intense and laden with lust, and Harriet can't look away. Her hands finally reach for his jeans and not a word is spoken between them as she fumbles with the button for several moments before it finally comes free. After that, she quickly unzips him and Cain is soon kicking the denim material across the tiled kitchen floor.

Their intense gaze still lingers until he cuts it as he moves; he strokes over her arm and his hand rests upon her shoulder as he moves behind her. Harriet wonders what his next move will be but she doesn't need to think on it for too long as it soon becomes clear. Cain shifts her flimsy t-shirt to the side on one shoulder, exposing the black bra strap beneath, and his lips settle temporarily at the join between her neck and shoulder. He kisses her there then hears her gasp at the sensation his kiss creates; his lips soon begin to move over her neck, hitting the erogenous zone there and with that, he sends her mind reeling with feelings of lust and longing. Cain's hands creep onto her hips, one remains in place while the other slips beneath her t-shirt. His fingers find the scar, the only physical reminder of the stabbing that brought them back together, and he strokes over the wound. His touch is so soft that she only knows he's there because her muscles clench involuntarily in response to his sentimental touch. It's doing little to extinguish the feelings of arousal continuing to build within her, if anything, they've become heightened as the intensity of their passionate encounter begins to rise. Harriet's hand finds his upon her stomach and gently rests it on top of his as he continues to nuzzle her neck; it's one of those times where she wishes she had the power to stop time because everything is perfect in that exact moment with him. Harriet loves her life in the village, she loves Cain but at that moment, she would love nothing more than to stay here with him forever.

Cain's hand eventually dislodges Harriet's and ventures away from her stomach; his dexterous fingers seek out the button and then the zip upon her jeans, undoing them at such a speed that she doesn't even feel it. She's so lost in the moment with him that she doesn't realise what he's done until she feels him beginning to pull impatiently at the material, wanting her help to take them off. His hand rests upon Harriet's waist, keeping her steady as she shifts from one foot to the other in her effort to disentangle her feet. She soon succeeds and follows Cain's earlier lead in kicking the denim garment across the kitchen floor. His hand finds the inside of her thigh, it's warm to his touch and his fingers then stroke teasingly over the front of her black lace knickers, she's already damp with arousal. Her reaction to his touch is instantaneous; she groans out loud before throwing her head back against his shoulder. Her hand, which had fallen to the side in the wake of his earlier movement, reaches behind her and she retaliates by sweeping her it over the front of his boxers. Her movement takes him by surprise and he releases a groan against her shoulder. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" he murmurs to her, his voice is nothing more than that because he doesn't want to portray to her just how turned on he is in that moment.

Harriet turns around to face him and he watches as that well-known devilish smirk crosses her face, "I know what I'd _like_ to do to you," she responds, but that doesn't answer Cain's question.

He raises his eyebrows, expecting her to elaborate and he's slightly surprised when she doesn't. Harriet captures his lips in a kiss and he is quick to respond; his body relaxes against her and this enables Harriet to move him into position against the kitchen worktop. Her hands sit upon his shoulders before her fingertips flutter over them and then stroke over his bare chest. Their kiss still continues, and Cain's become so swept up in it that he doesn't realise where Harriet's going until her hands sweep over his stomach and then meet at the hem of his boxers. She frees him from his confinement and groans into their kiss as she feels his erection against her thigh, the moment is near, Harriet senses it. She pulls away and once again, looks up and into his eyes; the look she gives him is so intense that he's almost swallowed up by it and in that moment, it becomes clear to him what she intends to do next. Harriet smirks at him as she watches the realisation dawn upon him, she knows that he knows because she felt his erection twitch against her thigh at the same time. He clearly can't wait, and neither can she.

Harriet steps back, her gaze never wavering from him as she reaches for the hem of her t-shirt and pulls it over her head in one swift movement. She casts it aside before stepping back towards him; she leans upwards to kiss him, Cain's lips open up against hers and at the same time, Harriet takes hold of his erection, grasping it firmly in her hand. He gasps into the kiss as he feels her warm hand encircling him down below and she continues to rub slowly up and then down his length. Cain pulls her closer and his hand lingers upon her waist she continues, his gasps are becoming steadily more frequent as the movements of Harriet's hand upon his erection quicken in pace, and this causes him to harden even further. Her lips curl upwards into a smirk as she hears his vocal reactions to the pleasure she's inflicting upon him, but she's not done with him yet.

Harriet's hand becomes still against him and reluctantly, she breaks the kiss too. She sees Cain open his mouth and she's certain that he's about to protest but when he sees the seductive smile that's currently lighting up her face, he closes his mouth and whatever protestation he had lined up is lost as she sinks to her knees in front of him. She knows exactly what's coming next, and the mere thought of what she's about to do to him turns her on beyond belief. Harriet's head dips low, and her lips part over his erection as she tastes him once again; it's not the first time she's done this to him, she's never going to forget the last time, it's seared into her memory. She hears his vocal expression of pleasure and it urges her forward, her tongue sweeps slowly, deliberately slowly over the tip of his now rock-hard erection as his salty taste fills her mouth and enflames her desire for him even further. Cain groans out loud and braces his hands against the kitchen worktop behind him as he feels her tongue beginning to move against him; his desire for her is made even worse as he glances downwards. All he can see is the top of her head, her brunette locks are shielding everything else from view. He cannot see what she's doing to him but boy, can he feel it, and it is exquisite.

Harriet slowly begins to take him further into her mouth, her lips curving upwards into a smirk as she hears his continuous groans of pleasure and eventually, she gets to work upon him. Cain's experienced this from her before so he knows what to expect; the act is torture in its most exquisite form and Harriet knows exactly what she's doing to him. To Cain at least, that is part of what makes it feel so good. Her tongue continues to sweep over him and her head moves with it too as she does so. "Harriet," Cain groans as he feels her movement down below.

Her lips curl into a smirk against him as she hears her name; she loves hearing her name leave his lips, especially when he's getting to the height of his pleasure, as he is right at that moment. It empowers her so much to know that she can make him feel so much in a single moment. Harriet's hands reach for him too and with her lips, they continue to work him; she starts off slow and steady but quickly, the pace is increased as her hands apply the pressure too. His climax is close, Harriet can feel it and she gets to her feet; her desire for him is almost out-of-control and now, she cannot help herself. She brings him in for a kiss, and more fireworks explode between the pair. She hears Cain groan against her in the midst of the kiss, knowing that he can taste himself upon her tongue and it only increases his desperation for the climax. Harriet lowers her hand and once again, takes a firm hold of his erection; she has every intention of finishing him off by hand, and knows it's not going to take too long for the climax to envelope him, he's on the brink as it is.

In fact, it barely takes a minute; just a few more well-timed movements against his erection and Cain groans uncontrollably into their kiss as his climax envelopes him. Harriet coaxes him through it as she continues to kiss him while slowing down the movements of her hand upon his erection and eventually, her hand becomes still.

Her lips leave his and she steps back, her chest rising and falling at an alarming rate as she takes some oxygen back into her lungs. Harriet's gaze settles upon Cain as he does the same and for a few moments, there's silence in the kitchen as they both get their breath back. "You are incredible," he finally tells her, "and I think you know what's coming next."

Harriet sucks in an almighty breath as her tongue sweeps across her lips. She wipes her hand against her thigh, leaving the evidence of their act there as she responds, "it had better be me, or I think I might explode."

Cain grins in her direction as he steps towards her and rests his hands upon her waist; he pulls her towards him and spins her around so that she's now backed up against the kitchen worktop, "you're in luck," he whispers triumphantly into her ear.

She releases a long, shuddering gasp as she feels Cain's hand beginning to glide upwards and over her back. His fingers find the fastenings upon her black lace bra and once undone, it's discarded upon the kitchen floor rather quickly. Harriet presses her body against Cain's and only then does it become apparent to him how turned on she's become as a result of her ministrations upon him; her nipples are hard against his bare chest, and Cain knows what he needs to do to satisfy her.

The time for teasing is over, she just needs a release now, and he's more than happy to give it to her. Cain quickly removes the one remaining barrier and lifts Harriet into his strong arms; she curls her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck as he angles her body against the kitchen worktop behind her. Moments later, she's moaning out loud as he finally penetrates her; he doesn't initially move within her but he can't resist for too much longer, and when Harriet's lips land upon his own, he begins to move against her. There is no slow build-up to a climax because Cain can sense that's not what she wants in that moment; she wants it fast and hard and in that moment, he is more than willing to comply.

His body rocks against hers, keeping up the fast pace with which he had started, and all Harriet can do is match his movements as best she can. Their groans of pleasure are steadily beginning to increase in both volume and frequency as they both surge towards the crescendo, even their kiss is struggling to mask the sounds of their pleasure. Harriet feels the first stirrings of her orgasm beginning to rise within her and Cain feels her legs starting to tighten around his waist as a result. In response, he tightens his grips upon her whilst he continues with his almost animalistic thrusts into her compliant lower body. Moments later, Harriet's climax is upon her and she pulls out of the kiss before throwing her head. She calls out his name over and over again as she allows her orgasm to engulf her. Cain's climax follows barely seconds later, and he groans noisily into her shoulder as he succumbs to the overwhelmingly delicious sensation. He slows his movements down before finally coming to a stop and setting her down upon the kitchen worktop. Once more, there's silence in the kitchen, aside from the sounds of heavy breathing from both Cain and Harriet as they allow themselves some time to recover from their latest passionate encounter. They're not breaking new ground, it just feels so much more intense now than it did a few months previously, when they were sneaking around behind everyone's backs. Harriet is the first one to break the silence, "I knew you had trouble keeping your hands off me, but I think you've now outdone yourself." she tells him as her hands come to rest upon his shoulders, "we've not even unpacked the car and you've already had your wicked way with me."

Cain laughs out loud, he was so invested in the moment with her that up until that moment, he'd completely forgotten that all the stuff they had brought with them was still in the car. "I never heard a word of complaint from you, just the moans of pleasure."

Harriet laughs in response to his words as she climbs down off the kitchen work-top and leans up to kiss him, "perhaps we should unpack the car soon though," she says to him as she pulls away.

Cain nods half-heartedly in agreement, "hmmm, maybe," he mutters in response to her as his arms once again encircle her waist.

At that moment, he doesn't really want to unpack the car and if she's honest too, Harriet doesn't either. They're both content to stay in their little bubble for a little while longer as they commit their latest encounter to memory, it's a feeling that's never going to leave them…

* * *

The hour is late, darkness has long since descended over the Lake District, and Cain and Harriet are back at the lodge for the night.

After their passion-fuelled encounter in the kitchen, the two of them eventually unpacked the car but once they had done so, neither of them really felt like cooking that night. Cain then suggested that they took a walk into town, in search of the nearest pub which was a couple of miles away from where they were staying, such was their seclusion at the lodge. Harriet was thrilled and she'd readily agreed to his suggestion; their evening had been perfect, and she was so grateful to him for bringing her here. Sure, she loved the village and its locals but every time she and Cain went into the Woolpack for either a meal or a drink, she couldn't help feeling that everyone's eyes were upon them, wondering what the vicar sees that no-one else does in the reformed bad-boy. That evening however, they were left completely alone and only interrupted by the chef that brought them their meals and took away their plates when they were done, it was bliss. Their night wasn't over yet however…

Cain watches as the steam rises from the bubbling hot tub and forms a warm, white cloud above. The night is cool, but not unbearably so as he puts one foot into the hot tub, winces slightly at the heat and then the other follows before he sinks down into one of the seats. He rests an arm against the side as he waits for Harriet to come and join him, he's not sure why she's taking so long, she was only meant to be getting a couple of beers out of the fridge for them. "Harriet," Cain calls out, "where are you?" he adds.

She emerges onto the decked area a few moments later, beer cans in hand, and Cain's shirt on over the top of her two-piece bikini. His jaw drops as he gazes at her, he's transfixed once more by both her beauty and her ridiculous sexiness. "I'm never going to be able to wear that shirt in the same way again," he eventually comments when he finds his voice.

Harriet glances down at the shirt, then up at him, "why not?" she questions him.

"Because you look so ridiculously sexy, and I can't pull it off in the same way that you do,"

She smirks at him as she approaches, putting the beer cans down on the side of the hot-tub before she leans in to press a single kiss to his lips, "flatterer," she mutters as she steps back.

Cain can't take his eyes off Harriet as she slowly but surely unfastens his checked shirt button by button. Then, once the final button has been undone, she sexily shrugs the garment to the floor. Her two-piece bikini hugs her figure perfectly, flatters her in all the right places and he finds himself wanting her all over again. Cain wonders briefly whether there will ever be a time where he'll stop wanting her every time she walks into a room, he hopes not, because their energetic sex life is one of his favourite things about their relationship.

His train of thought is soon derailed as Harriet slips into the hot-tub beside him and Cain finds himself sliding towards her. He passes a can along to her before taking a sip from his own; she takes it from him and smiles as she takes a sip too. The contrast between the hot water she's now immersed in, and the cold drink in her hand is staggering, but welcoming at the same time.

Her free hand dips below the bubbly surface and finds his thigh, giving it an warm squeeze and Cain returns the gesture before he lifts his arm out of the water and throws it over her shoulders, pulling her petite frame into him. Harriet finds herself resting her head against his shoulder, for the time being, not a word is spoken between them; she loves the fact that not every moment with him has to be filled with inane chatter, that they can have these moments of complete silence, and still be completely content in each other's company. Cain turns his head towards her and presses a soft, tender kiss to her forehead, Harriet lips curl into a soft smile in response to his simple, yet affectionate gesture. "Thank you," she mutters softly to him, "for all this, and for finding me."

Cain's forehead becomes wrinkled with confusion, "eh?" he replies, he doesn't get what she's trying to say to him.

Harriet smiles to herself once more, realising that she's not making much sense, least of all to him; she knows she needs to elaborate. She lifts her head from his shoulder and gets to her feet; she puts her can of beer back down on the side of the hot-tub, does the same with Cain's before sinking back into the water and taking up a straddled position upon his lap. His hands immediately sink beneath the water to cradle her hips, while her hands linger upon his shoulders; the moment is intense, like a lot of them have been that day, but somehow, this one feels different. It's clear to Cain now that there's something that Harriet wants to get off her chest, he wants to know what she's got to tell him, but he doesn't want to rush her; she'll tell him in her own time. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about us recently," she starts off tentatively as her gaze meets his, "and I found myself remembering something that you said to me before we properly got started, you'd said that I seemed a bit lost to you, and I think I was at that point," she adds, "I mean, at this point, Ashley had just died, I was all over the place emotionally, but I suppose that was to be expected," she continues as her voice starts to wobble. A hand moves from her hip and rests upon her cheek; Cain's hand moves, his fingers tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear before his palm settles against her cheek once more. Harriet feels comforted by him, and it gives her the strength to push on with what she has to tell him, "you became my distraction from the grief and made me feel more wanted than anyone else has done for quite sometime.

"I just want to say that I know I've never really been anything special to look at, and that's OK, but whenever we're together, you make me feel like the sexiest, most beautiful woman on the planet, and I'm so grateful to you for bringing me back to life," she tells him, "you found me when no-one else was looking."

It's not very often that Cain Dingle shows his emotions to anyone, but today is the exception. His other hand breaks the bubbly surface and finds her other cheek; they're so close that he can feel her breath lightly tickling his cheek as she waits patiently for his response. She briefly wonders whether she's born too much of her soul to him but just as quickly as those thoughts flit through her head, they're quickly closed down as Cain opens his mouth to speak. "You _are_ special Harriet," he insists to her, "not just to look at, but as a person too, and I'm so lucky to have you," he adds, "and, one last thing," he continues, "you _are_ beautiful and I meant what I said earlier, you are ridiculously sexy too. These days, you only have to walk into a room, and I want you."

She grins at him, she's happy in the knowledge that he's put his heart and soul into the words he's just spoken. Harriet's nose brushes softly against his as she leans in and her lips, cool from a combination of the night air and the alcohol, find his. Cain's response to her is immediate as her tongue opens up his mouth and her fingers interlink at the back of his neck; his tongue strokes over hers, pushing in and then out, creating a suggestive rhythm which causes Harriet to groan in response against him. Their kiss is passionate and they both know where they're heading next…

Cain pulls away a few moments later and his movement creates a gap that he intends to take full advantage of. His hands move over her shoulders and he fingers the ties that are holding her bikini top over her breasts; he finds the knot at the back of her neck, quickly seeking to untie her and once the knot has come loose, his wet hands slide down her back. He fiddles with the knot and once it's undone, her bikini top drops, leaving her breasts bare, and only just covered by the bubbling water.

Once again, Cain's hands cradle her hips and Harriet soon finds herself on her feet. She shivers in the cool night air, her nipples quickly hardening in response to the drastic change in temperature; Harriet stands over him and Cain cups his hands beneath the waters surface, bringing some of the warm water up to her chest. A new wave of shivers wrack her body as the water cascades from his hands, onto her breasts and drips from her nipples before she sinks back into the warm water, back onto his lap.

Harriet's chilled breasts become pressed against Cain's warm chest, she gasps at the sensation that shoots through her body. Her hands hold him close while her lips settle upon his neck; she kisses him there for several moments before her gasp of earlier evolves into a groan as she feels Cain's hardening erection beneath her. It's a familiar feeling, and one that she relishes so much. He pushes her back slightly, Harriet catches his gaze, then frowns in response. Her expression is quickly rearranged however as she feels his hand upon her breast; his fingers roll her nipple between them while her hand becomes braced against his shoulder. Harriet moans out loud and her back becomes arched as she thrusts her breasts towards him.

It's an invitation that Cain cannot turn down and his lips close in upon her other nipple. His tongue circles the bud before he sucks it into his mouth; Harriet moans out loud once more at the delicious sensation as Cain pulls back, leaving the aching bud damp and exposed to the cool night air.

Her hands come to rest upon his shoulders while Cain stares deeply into her eyes. His hands meanwhile, stray between her legs; Harriet can sense what he wants to do so she parts them slightly further in an effort to make his task easier. Cain's hands venture onto her hips, he simultaneously undoes the ties upon her bikini bottoms before tossing the garment away with a flick of the wrist.

It's now beginning to dawn on Harriet just how naked she now is in this hot-tub but she doesn't really care. Her desperation for the man she's straddling is so acute that there's only one thing on her mind; sexual satisfaction, both his and hers. Her hands travel beneath the bubbly surface, then over Cain's chest and stomach before finding his shorts. It takes a little longer than she'd like but soon enough, they too are cast aside and he's now as naked as she is in the hot-tub. Harriet's gaze is upon him as she braces one hand against his shoulder while the other remains in the water. She smirks down at him as her warm hand finds its target then she slowly begins to lower herself onto the tip of his erection. She eases herself down onto him and gasps out loud; her grip upon his shoulder becoming tighter as he fills her. Cain groans as he feels her initial penetration and for several moments, she doesn't move as she acclimatises herself to the exquisite feeling that takes her breath away. Their love-making always carries with it a great deal of intensity but this time, something feels different, and Harriet can't put her finger upon exactly what it is. Physically, they couldn't be much closer in that moment but perhaps her earlier words have brought them closer together emotionally. Whatever it is, she can't do anything but surrender herself to her ever-deepening feelings for him.

Harriet soon leans forward, cupping Cain's cheeks and his jawline all at once; her lips capture his in a kiss before she pairs it off with the commencement of her hip movements. His response to her kiss is as instantaneous as ever as Harriet begins to rock her hips against him; she starts off slowly, wanting to build up the pleasure for both herself and him as well. She soon settles into a rhythm and as Cain becomes more and more responsive to her movement, Harriet begins to increase the pace.

His hands return to her hips as she breaks their passionate exchange of kisses. Together, they surge towards a crescendo and still, not a single word is uttered between the two. The only sounds that emanate from their lips are the groans of pleasure that escape as they feel every movement the other has for them. Harriet's groans are the loudest in their volume, she feels her climax building within her and her gaze settles upon Cain. At that moment, she feels that just seeing his face contort with pleasure with every movement that she makes will be enough to see her through. She's almost right; a few more moments pass by then a hand strays between her legs. Cain's fingers find her clit, he stimulates the already aching bud and after that, it only takes a few more seconds until Harriet squeals out loud above him as her climax engulfs her for the second time that day. Her body shudders as she begins to work on extracting Cain's climax from him; her movements carry on, but he can't hold out for much longer. His lips find her neck and he groans into it as he ejaculates within her. Harriet's movement slow down before eventually, her body becomes still above him.

She slumps into his lap as her chest rapidly rises and falls in her attempts to draw breath; Cain does the same too. It takes a few minutes, but he's the one to break the post-coital silence as his arms encircle her waist and his gaze meets hers. "Happy Birthday Harriet," he tells her happily, "I love you."

He doesn't know exactly what the time is, but something tells him it's past midnight, so it's perfectly OK for him to say it. Harriet grins down at him, she cannot contain her happiness in that moment. "Thank you so much," she responds, "and I love you too," she adds as her hand strokes over his cheek before she leans in to kiss him.

Cain responds eagerly to her advance, he's perfectly content to let the kiss linger for a little while. It's 12:35am, her birthday is only thirty-five minutes old but Harriet's already convinced that it's the best birthday she's ever had…

It's going to be a good day, she can feel it…

* * *

 _I wonder how many have actually made it to the end? ;)_

 _If you have, feel free to drop me a review, please? :p_

 _x_


	6. Bedtime Stories

_Hello once again lovely readers, I seem to have found myself back here again with another new ficlet to post._

 _This one's a little different from the ones I've written previously but this idea would not leave me alone, so I had to write it :D Hope you guys still like it anyway!_

 _This piece is set somewhere between Harriet's scene with Rhona from the episode dated August 18th, and the next batch of Cain/Harriet scenes on the 6th September._

 _Finally, this one's for Chlo, who persuaded me to write this after sharing the idea with her on Twitter last night._

 _x_

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories**

It's been a long week for Cain Dingle, perhaps the longest he's ever experienced. He hasn't seen Harriet since the previous weekend as she's been away, covering another Parish in the area. She's back tonight though, and he cannot wait.

It's taken him until that week to realise just how much he misses her when she's not around; up before that week, they had not spent more than a day apart since their reunion after the stabbing which nearly cost Harriet her life. Sure, they've spoken to each other every night on the phone, sometimes for hours on end, but to Cain, it's not the same as speaking to her face-to-face and falling asleep beside her when tiredness beats the pair of them. Cain hopes it's not a scenario that'll be repeated at any point in the not-too-distant future. As soppy as it sounds, he's really missed having his girlfriend around.

A soft knock upon the door of Wishing Well Cottage pulls Cain out of his daydream, he smiles to himself as he clambers up from his seated position upon the sofa to answer the door; he knows who this is going to be. He opens the door and grins cheekily down at Harriet, who stands before him on the step. "I was beginning to think I'd been stood up," he softly admits to her.

Harriet gasps in shock as her jaw drops, "never," she assures him, "I got chatting to Laurel, and then Emma wanted to pick my brains about something, I'm sorry."

"It's OK," he says to her as he takes the opportunity to glance over her, "come here," he adds as he holds his arms out to her.

Harriet grins up at him as she steps forward and his arms envelope her in a tight hug, which she is very quick to reciprocate. Cain turns his head slightly and presses a soft kiss into her hair, "I've missed you," he mutters to her.

Once she's freed herself from his warm embrace, Harriet smiles up at him, "I've missed you too," she declares in response before she starts to pull him back towards her, she draws him closer and captures his lips in a kiss.

Cain lets her linger for a few brief moments, he's missed that heavenly feeling of her lips against his so he doesn't want the moment to end too soon. Harriet pulls away, smiling up at him once again, "are you gonna invite me in then?" she questions him, "I don't fancy spending all night out here to be honest."

He laughs out loud but quickly quietens down, Kyle's asleep upstairs and Cain hopes that his laughter hasn't woken the little boy up. He steps aside to allow Harriet in and closes the door behind the two of them once she steps into the cottage. "Do we have the place to ourselves tonight then?" she inquires as she settles herself down the sofa.

She turns around and glances over at Cain, watching him as he pulls a couple of cans of beer out of the fridge. "Mostly," he says to her, "Dad and Lisa have gone away for the weekend, our Belle's at Lachlan's, Kyle's asleep upstairs but he shouldn't be too much bother," he carries on in explanation.

"Just the two of us then?" Harriet questions as Cain sits himself down on the sofa beside her.

He nods his head in response, "just us," he confirms to her.

Harriet smiles in his direction, "good," she tells him as Cain leans forwards to crack open the cans of beer he had placed down on the coffee table, "thanks," Harriet adds as he passes her one of the cans.

"I hope this is OK for you by the way," Cain says to her as he leans back against the sofa, gesturing towards a selection of takeaway menus that sat on the coffee table too.

Harriet smiles over at him, "of course it is," she replies, "it's been a busy week so I'm glad you suggested a quiet night in, I didn't really fancy getting dressed up to go anywhere."

"Me neither," he says to her, "as I said at the door, I've missed you this week, and I just wanted to spend some quality time with you, just us," he adds in admittance. Sure, Kyle's asleep upstairs, but he won't be too much bother for the two of them.

Harriet grins over at him; she can scarcely believe that he's the same guy that kissed her in the church five months ago. Back then, he was still seen as the village bad-boy because he was always mixed up something, and it was usually illegal. Not anymore though, the former criminal bad-boy had been tamed; he had pretty much kept his nose clean since they had been together, aside from the incident with Ross and his attempt to turn vigilante on Harriet's attackers, and Cain largely put it down to her influence. He's softened a fair bit since he's been with her, and Harriet loves that side to him. It's a side she knows he doesn't show to a lot of people; when their relationship was outed after a stabbing, Harriet had told the members of her choir that there was more to him than meets the eye, she was certainly right there. There's only a handful of people in the village who've seen this side of him, and she's now grateful to be one of them. "You're getting soft in your old age," she teases him before taking a sip from her beer.

"Only when it comes to you," Cain replies flirtatiously as he sits himself up and puts his can of beer down upon the coffee table. He picks up a few of the takeaway menus before allowing the sofa to take his weight once more, "what do you fancy by the way?"

Harriet grins and raises her eyebrows in his direction, "apart from you, you mean," she responds just as flirtatiously.

Cain smirks, "I meant what did you fancy for dinner," he tells her, "but it's nice to know you fancy me as much as I do you."

The smile she bestows upon him in response to his words is dazzling, and it reminds Cain of just how much he loves her. "I love you," she murmurs softly to him.

"I love you too, you know that," he responds.

Harriet nods in response, she shuffles closer to Cain upon the sofa and her lips land upon his. He responds almost instantly to her kiss and as Harriet's lips part against his own, he mimics her movements. His hand cradles her neck as their kiss gets a little bit more intense; her fingers stroke over his cheek before finding his slightly-stubbled jawline. The two of them are so caught up in the moment that they oblivious to the sound of footsteps on the staircase. It's only when Cain breaks away and looks over Harriet's shoulder that he spots his young son sleepily rubbing his eyes as he sits at the bottom of the stairs. "What's up little man?" he gently asks Kyle as he approaches the stairs and then bends down to his level.

"Nightmare," Kyle quietly responds to his Dad before rubbing his eyes once again.

"Shall I come and tuck you back into bed?" Cain questions him and pauses before continuing, "would you like a bedtime story too?" he then adds as an after-thought, it might help get him back to sleep quicker.

"Can Harriet do it?" Kyle replies as he spots her sat upon the sofa, cradling her can in her hands.

Cain turns around and his gaze settles upon his girlfriend, he then turns back to his son. "Why don't you ask her?" he says to him.

Kyle wanders towards Harriet and climbs onto the sofa next to her, "will you read me a bedtime story please?" he asks her, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes and cute smile to match.

Harriet smiles over at him as she puts her can of beer down beside Cain's on the coffee table, "of course I'll read to you," she replies to him.

Kyle's face lights up with happiness as Harriet gets up from the sofa and lifts the little lad onto her hip. She approaches Cain at the bottom of the stairs, "I'll just put this little one back to bed, and then I'll be all yours again," Harriet tells him as she gives him a soft kiss.

"What did you want for dinner?" Cain asks her, "I'll order while you're gone."

"My usual will be fine darling," she responds as she begins to climb the stairs with Kyle in her arms.

Cain watches as Harriet as she goes and his gaze is drawn to her backside. Instead of her usual attire, she's clothed in just a black t-shirt and her favourite pair of tight, black leggings, which made her backside stand out a lot more than usual, but it's not something Cain is complaining about.

He hears a door open and close upstairs and he turns away from the stairs, he swipes his phone off the coffee table and punches in the number for the Chinese takeaway. He hangs up a few minutes later once he has ordered their food and settles back against the sofa with his can of beer, waiting for Harriet to re-join him.

* * *

Twenty minutes have elapsed since Harriet disappeared upstairs with Kyle to read to him and put him back to bed, and she's still up there. Their food still hasn't arrived so he decides that he'll wait until it arrives before he goes upstairs to check upon the two of them.

A sharp knock upon the door about fifteen minutes later announces the arrival of the takeaway guy with their dinner. Cain gets up from the sofa and opens the door, taking the carrier bags from the delivery driver before he pays and tips him. He takes the carrier bags into the cottage's small kitchen area and started to divide up the containers; lamb chow mein with sides of egg fried rice and onion rings for Cain and for Harriet, king prawn fried rice with some spring rolls for a starter. He had also added some prawn crackers to the order too, for them to share as the evening wore on.

The food smells delicious, but there's still no sign of Harriet; Cain decides that it's now time he went to find her. Kyle's probably taking full advantage of having someone new around to read him a bedtime story. Cain puts their dinner in the oven to keep it warm before crossing the floor and reaching the staircase. He climbs up the stairs and quietly wanders along the landing before stopping outside Kyle's bedroom, he smiles as he hears Harriet's voice and he listens for a few moments as she continues to read to his youngest son, it's such a magical moment for him. Cain eventually pushes open the bedroom door so he can poke his head around and the sight that greets him melts his heart; he sees Harriet settled upon the bed and leaning against the headboard with Kyle comfortably snuggled up in the crook of her arm as he listens intently to the story she's telling him. It's a moment in which something is proven to Cain; he didn't think he could love her more than he already did, he's now been proved wrong.

"Come on Kyle," Cain tells him as he steps into the room and approaches the bed, "I think it's time you got to sleep," he adds, "say thank you to Harriet."

"Thank you," he murmurs sleepily as he rests his head back down upon his pillow, "you're a great story-teller."

Harriet smiles at him, "and you're a very good listener," she answers him as she leans across to press a goodnight kiss to his forehead.

Cain reaches for Harriet, offering her a hand as she clambers off the bed; he follows her lead and presses a kiss to his son's forehead, "sleep tight son," he tells him softly.

"Night Daddy," Kyle replies, "night Harriet."

"Night night," they both respond in unison before retreating onto the landing.

Cain closes the door after the two of them, leaving it open ajar so that they can hear Kyle if he stirs again. "Dinner's here," he tells Harriet as they quietly descend the stairs.

Harriet sniffs the air as they make it downstairs, "I can tell," she responds, "it smells heavenly."

She settles herself down upon the sofa once again as Cain goes into the kitchen to retrieve their dinner from the oven. It's a moment that she wouldn't change or trade for anything else in the world right now, she's having a quiet night in with the man she loves more than anyone else. She's so immeasurably happy, and no-one's going to take that from her.

* * *

"I'm not sure I can eat another thing," Harriet declares as she finishes off her main course.

She's glad she had decided to ditch her jeans and just pull on a pair of leggings for that evening, she was certain that she would have been undoing the button on her jeans at this point had she kept them on. "Oh come on Harriet," Cain replies to her, "we've still got the prawn crackers to devour," he adds as he picks up the bag upon the coffee table.

Harriet pulls a face, she doesn't feel as though she will be able to stomach those for quite sometime. "Maybe later," she says, pacifying him for now.

Cain smiles in her direction, "fancy another beer?" he asks as he gestures towards the empty cans that sit upon the coffee table alongside their discarded containers.

"Yeah, why not?" she answers. He nods his head and rises from the sofa, taking their plates into the kitchen with him. Cain puts down the plates and then opens up the fridge, pulling out a couple of beers before joining Harriet on the sofa. "Thank you," she finally adds as Cain hands a can onto her before sitting himself down.

He smiles at her and watches as she cracks it open, he follows her lead and the silence envelopes them as they both take a sip. "Thanks for settling Kyle down again for me," Cain says to her as he drapes an arm over her shoulder.

"It's my pleasure, it was nice to spend some proper time with him," Harriet replies as she makes herself comfortable in his embrace, "he's a lovely kid, and he's the spit of you."

"You're not the first person to have told me that," Cain tells her, "seeing you with Kyle got me thinking though," he adds cautiously as he looks down at her.

Harriet's forehead becomes wrinkled in confusion, "about what?" she asks him curiously.

Cain doesn't answer her immediately, he's unsure how to ask her the question because he's not sure how she'll react to it. "Why did you never have kids of your own?" he replies eventually, "because I saw how you were with Kyle, and I think you'd have made an amazing Mum."

He feels her body stiffen against him in response to the question and he immediately regrets asking her; it's obviously stirred up some memories for her, and she might not want to share them with him. "I'm sorry," Cain eventually apologises, he can't stand the silence any longer, for the first time, it's awkward between them, "I shouldn't have asked, forget I said anything,"

Harriet shakes her head against him, she wants to tell him the truth, but it's difficult for her; she can count on one hand the number of people who know this about her. She loves Cain, she trusts him implicitly, and she doesn't want to keep this from him anymore. It's time he knew the truth, "I am a Mum," she admits softly to him, "to a star in the sky…Jessica Laura Finch," she adds, her voice is already starting to crack with emotion.

Cain's stunned by her admission, and his first instinct is to tighten his grip upon her as his way of assuring her that he's there for her. "What happened to her?" he asks her gently, he has no intention of pushing her into answering him, but the strength of their bond tells him that she'll tell him when she's ready.

Harriet sniffs slightly against his chest, "she was stillborn," she begins to explain, he can already hear the anguish in her voice, "I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and gave birth to her at twenty-nine weeks…she was perfect, but born asleep," she adds, her voice continues to crack with every word she speaks and the tears soon follow.

He feels awful now and wishes even more that he hadn't asked the question in the first place; Harriet's sobs pull at his heartstrings and Cain cradles her head to his chest as he rocks her back and forth in his attempts to calm her down. His shirt is soaked as a result of her tears but that wisas the least of his concerns at that moment, his only concern was her; he'd never seen her lose it like this before.

A few minutes pass by and her sobs begin to quieten in volume until they stop altogether, "I'm sorry," she tells him as she sits herself up and wipes away her tears, "it's just been a long while since I told anyone about her."

Cain looks at her, he tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear before leaning forwards to press the softest, most tender kiss to her forehead. He pulls back and stares into her eyes, "you, have got nothing to apologise for," he assures her, "I'm glad you told me."

"So am I," she declares.

Silence envelopes the two of them again as Cain allows himself a few moments to process what he's heard. "I meant what I said y'know," he finally tells her, "you would've made an amazing Mum."

A watery smile creases Harriet's face, "I never got another chance to prove it though," she admits to him.

Cain frowns at her, "how come?" he asks.

"Part of me was scared that history would repeat itself, I didn't think I could cope with losing another baby," she replies to him, "and to be honest, after that, there was never another 'right time'. My track record with relationships wasn't great, Jessica's Dad cleared off when I was sixteen weeks pregnant, so I guess that put me off a little too," she adds in admission.

His admiration of her has hit new and unprecedented heights in the past half an hour, he can scarcely believe what she's been through, and he's proud to call her his girlfriend. "Can I tell you something?" Harriet eventually asks him.

Cain nods his head in her direction, "anything," he tells her.

Harriet smiles softly in his direction as she contemplates briefly how to word her latest confession, "I love you so much," she tells him, "and seeing how you are as a Dad to Kyle and Debbie, and a granddad to Sarah and Jack…just makes me wish that we could have a baby of our own."

A baby, the ultimate bond between two people. Cain's never allowed himself to dwell upon it too much because the idea was a pipedream, nothing more than that; all of a sudden, he's visualising it, their child, a chance to be a proper Dad at last. Internally, he's choked up at the thought, but he's determined not to let it show because he doesn't want to upset her again. "I don't love you any less because you can't give me a kid," he tells her, he feels as though he has to make that point to her, "you're all that really matters to me," he adds, "as long as I've got you, I don't really need anything, or anyone else."

Harriet smiles at him, "I'm not going anywhere," she declares to him.

"Good,"

Cain shuffles towards her and presses a soft and meaningful kiss to her lips before enveloping her in a warm embrace. Harriet is quick to reciprocate his embrace and she sighs contentedly against his shoulder, if she didn't know it before, she does know it now.

She's in this for the long-haul. It's Harriet Finch and Cain Dingle against the world.

* * *

 _Feel free to let me know your thoughts gang :)_

 _x_


End file.
